Connective Cities
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
NEWSLETTER - Editon No. 77, October 2024

Dear readers,

‘Coping with climate change and its consequences is a mammoth task for society: how can we distribute the burden fairly?’ asked Alena Buyx, former Chair of the German Ethics Council, at the presentation of the Council's statement on climate justice in March this year. She then gave herself the answer: ‘Everyone is called upon - parties, civil society, media, science - to develop new perspectives for a good life in a sustainable and climate-neutral society without further growth in consumption and resource consumption.’

Cities and their municipal administrations are important players in shaping this transformation process in a socially just way and with appropriate municipal services. Here are a few examples of how this can be done.

Inspired by a series of different expert exchanges with Connective Cities over the past eight years, the municipality of Jerash in Jordan has successfully implemented local projects in the areas of gender-sensitive local economic development, waste management and plastics recycling.

Appropriate housing, green infrastructure and sustainable mobility were the key topics at the Urban Thinkers Campus in Amman. In addition, at a dialogue event in Berlin, there was intensive discussion about how public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s can be reused.

A new handbook from us shows how tourism offers in the MENA region can be designed inclusively. We are also delighted that the climate-sensitive urban development strategy for Garowe in Puntland, Somalia, which was developed in a collaborative process, has now been officially handed over and can therefore be implemented.

Our working groups on renewable energy in Sub-Saharan and North Africa and on the conversion and reuse of public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s will continue their work in the second half of October.

We also have a series of events planned for you in November: Four events as part of the World Urban Forum in Cairo as well as an event at the Goethe-Institute Cairo. Key topics are affordable housing, climate adaptation and the power of networks and exchange platforms for urban experts.

Last but not least, we would like to draw your attention to the Ukraine Conference of the State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is being organised jointly with the City of Cologne. German-Ukrainian city partnerships from NRW are invited.

We wish you inspiring reading and hope to see you soon in Cairo.
Your Connective Cities Team

10 Years Connective Cities
Jerash in Jordan: Incremental steps towards success
A shared journey: eight years with Connective Cities

Represented by the Local Development Department, Jerash Municipality has actively participated in many of Connective Cities' regional and global activities, providing ideas for local projects in the areas of gender-sensitive local economic development, waste management and plastic recycling and paving the way for a waste-free city.

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Review
Urban Thinkers Campus in Amman, Jordan
Promoting housing adequacy, green infrastructure, and sustainable mobility

Connective Cities co-organized the Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC), which took place for the first time in Amman/Jordan. The discussions with representatives from Jordanian and German municipalities, the Ministry of Transport, non-governmental organizations and academia focused on topics such as affordable / adequate housing, green infrastructure and sustainable mobility.

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More sustainable than demolition
Repurposing public buildings from the 1960s and 70s

How can buildings be preserved? What future (interim) uses might be possible? How can criteria of economic, social and ecological sustainability be taken into account? Which innovative construction methods are suitable? What is the best way to organise the process? Which stakeholders need to be involved and how can they be convinced in favour of a project? These and other questions were hotly debated at the dialogue event in Berlin.

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Insights
Inclusive nature tourism trails for the deaf, disabled and blind
A guide for municipalities in the MENA region

In recent years, the tourism industry has been expanding its offerings by providing more inclusive and sustainable options. However, access to tourist attractions is still a major challenge for the deaf, visually impaired and people with disabilities. This guide aims to address these challenges by updating the currently available tourism guidelines and incorporating contemporary design standards for inclusion.

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Handing Over Ceremony for the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy for Garowe
Practical solutions for urgent climate challenges in the areas of mobility, waste management, water management and green spaces

On 25 September 2024, the Municipality of Garowe, Puntland, Somalia, officially received the Climate Sensitive City Development Strategy (CSCD), which was developed by the RACCA working group with the participation of various local stakeholders. The ceremony marked the transition from planning to implementation, empowering Garowe in its efforts to become a sustainable and climate-resilient city.

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Outlook
Energy Working Group for Cities in Tunisia
Upcoming workshop of the Working Group on Renewable Energies in Sub-Saharan and North Africa from 23 to 25 October 2024 in Tunis, Tunisia

The event, organised by Connective Cities, GIZ REMO Tunisia, RoAid and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GKoM), builds on the successful workshop held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in June 2024 and will focus on strengthening renewable energy projects in urban areas.

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‘2nd Hands on Public Buildings’ - first follow-up activity to the learning process launched at the end of September
On 30 October 2024, the participants will build on the results of the dialogue event online.

Following the collection of diverse approaches to the conversion and reuse of public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s during the dialogue event in Berlin, the participants will come together online on 30 October to reflect on the initial results and explore them in greater depth. The focus will also be on further dialogue within the network.

‘For a common European future’ - Ukraine Conference of the State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia
On 18 November 2024, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Cologne are hosting a conference on cooperation with Ukraine

In nine specialist forums, the participants can develop ideas for cooperation and exchange views on the opportunities and challenges of collaboration. One expert forum is organised by Connective Cities and deals with the huge amounts of construction waste caused by bomb attacks, the removal and reuse of which poses challenges. In an expert forum, Connective Cities would like to discuss the relevant aspects of the topic with stakeholders from NRW and Ukraine and offer opportunities for networking.

More (in Ukrainian)
Cool and climate-neutral cities are collaborative
How inclusive, transdisciplinary and integrated approaches can drive urban climate adaptation and mitigation.

As part of the Cairo Climate Talks at the Goethe-Institut in Cairo, the event will highlight the key elements of heat action plans and show how urban planners can overcome the challenges through integrative, interdisciplinary and participatory approaches.

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Connective Cities at the World Urban Forum (WUF)
Enabling Affordability and Sustainability in Housing Provision

05 Nov. 2024 from 13:00 to 13:45 EET
WUF, Cairo, Egypt

 

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The role of local governments in unlocking the transformative power of public spaces in the Arab Cities

06. Nov. 2024 from 13:00 to 14:30 EET
WUF, Kairo, Ägypten

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Urban Practices Sharing Platforms: Reimagining Urban Development Through Collaboration

07. Nov. 2024 from 13:00 to 14:30 EET
WUF, Kairo, Ägypten

More
Making Affordable and Sustainable Housing a Reality for All

08. Nov. 2024 from 09:00 to 10:30 EET
WUF, Kairo, Ägypten

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