How can all people be reached and how can communication strategies be tailored to specific target groups? Which factors influence the acceptance of vaccines and how can different stakeholders be included in participatory communication approaches? The city of Bogotá benefited from the previous experience in Stuttgart and was even more successful in implementing its strategy.

On the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction #DRRday (13. October 2021), the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM) and Connective Cities have initiated the working group on risk-informed urban development. The objective of the working group is to contribute to the identification of concrete project ideas for early-stage technical assistance on RIUD and climate change adaptation, context-specific to Southern Africa.

The formal and informal involvement of children and young people in planning and decision-making processes at the municipal level not only strengthens children's rights, but also the community. Our Good Practice from Quelimane, Mozambique successfully promotes children's participation in good local governance. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, Yerevan's municipal bus company provided free transport for all medical staff to support the health system – safely under strict hygiene measures. Thanks to the lessons learned during the Corona pandemic, the company is now better prepared for future crises.

The programme has successfully contributed to the collection of over 90% of waste in low-income areas of Ghana's capital city. Illegal open dumpsites have been closed and informal waste pickers have been integrated into the legal framework of waste collection. This has reduced the stigma associated with being observed as illegal operators.

The traffic volume of cyclists in the popular tourist town on Lake Constance has grown significantly in recent years and increased even more during the Corona pandemic. The cycling infrastructure reached its limits. The city council of Lindau has now decided, as part of its climate-friendly mobility strategy, to expand it with innovative concepts and by a participatory approach. 

Initiated by a Connective Cities dialogue event and financially supported by the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW), the cities of Rostock and Bizerte can now look back on a successfully completed project: The composting plant will decrease the load on residual waste landfills by 1,000 tonnes per year. Greenhouse gas emissions will also be drastically reduced. 

Connective Cities has worked closely with more than 15 Ukrainian cities and municipalities in recent years. Now, all ongoing and planned joint activities have been stopped due to the war. At a special Insight Session on Tuesday 17 May from 10 to 12:30 CEST, we want to raise awareness about the current situation in Ukraine and explore trustworthy ways to offer help. Your participation is welcome! 

Connective Cities is organising a three-part online dialogue starting on 19 May 2022 to address the overarching question of how to overcome barriers to planning integrated sustainable infrastructure and promote cross-sector collaboration. We look forward to your participation! 

Although Africa contributes little to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent remains the most vulnerable to climate change hazards. The Africities side event, organised by Connective Cities and the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management on 19 May 2022 from 14:30 to 16:30 EAT, will present viable ideas and strategies to increase urban resilience and enable sustainable development.

International cooperation between the Global North and Global South still suffers from a neo-colonial imbalance in both academic and political circles, – a premise that is, however, increasingly and justifiably coming under criticism. This year’s TRIALOG conference aims to analyse current practices, discuss progressive experiences and outline possibly more egalitarian approaches for the future.