The Deep Dive celebrated another milestone in the two year long process, with the latest workshop being held in Aswan - Egypt from 21st to 23rd January 2025. The workshop marked the transition from piloting solutions to optimising and up-scaling. Participants representing the cities of Nairobi, Aswan, Mombasa, Lüdenscheid, Heidelberg and Lviv discussed the results of the implementation of their pilots.

For the first time, representatives of municipal associations met with their colleagues from municipal administrations at a Connective Cites dialogue event. The regional diversity with perspectives and practical examples from South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Germany, South-East Europe and Asia enlivened the discussion and contributed to the success of the event. Five project ideas were developed as part of the action planning for Voluntary Local Reviews and are expected to be implemented in 2025.

On the occasion of the Connective Cities dialogue event on Voluntary Local Reviews in Berlin, the cities of Bonn, Hamburg, Mannheim and Stuttgart initiated the preparation of a Voluntary Local Government Review. The report by difu in cooperation with the municipal umbrella organisations summarises the sustainability efforts of 15 German cities. The aim of the report is to give local authorities a strong, coordinated voice in the national sustainability discourse.
The publication is currently only available in German. As soon as an English translation is available, we will link to it in the newsletter.

This report examines the digital transformation in Arab cities, focusing on how cities can enhance resource management, improve services, and engage communities through diverse digital technologies that impact how cities and local authorities operate. The report showcases 21 examples from cities across the Arab region and features insights from over 20 urban experts actively working on municipal digital transformation.

How can cities develop successful and affordable project proposals? In this Insight Session, Dr Christo Marais will share his experiences from the Learning & Exchange initiative to develop viable projects and show practical strategies for Risk Informed Urban Development.

How can waste be utilised economically and converted into valuable resources? In this Insight Session, Dr Farshid Pahlevani presents innovative approaches to recycling challenging waste materials and shows how they can be used as raw materials for high-performance products, thus combining ecological and economic benefits.

Following a successful call for expressions of interest, cities from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo were selected to take part in the workshop series. The thematic focus of the project ideas includes adapting to climate risks, strengthening early warning systems, infrastructure measures and involving civil society.

On 20 March, the International Day of Happiness, Connective Cities will host an Insight Session celebrating the transformative role of decentralised cooperation in promoting sustainable development. Participants will gain insights into successful tourism strategies from different municipalities - inspiring how partnerships can be used to achieve local and global goals.

The switch to renewable energies offers enormous economic opportunities, especially through green hydrogen. With abundant solar and wind energy, Africa has ideal conditions for sustainable hydrogen production. The workshop in Naivasha is part of the Connective Cities peer-learning process and is dedicated to innovative approaches for local economic development that thrives on green energy.