On 20 March, to mark the International Day of Happiness, Connective Cities hosted an insightful session highlighting the transformative power of decentralised collaboration in promoting sustainable development. Participants gained valuable insights into successful tourism strategies implemented in different communities and were inspired by how partnerships can be used to achieve local and global impact.

It is predicted that climate-related disasters in West Africa will cost up to three per cent of regional GDP annually by 2030. Coupled with rapid urban growth and the increasing pressure on infrastructure that comes with it, cities in the region are at the forefront of the climate crisis. In response, the workshop focussed on one fundamental principle: cities learn best from other cities.

A new district for administration, housing, social affairs and culture is being built on the large site of the former administrative building for the Federal Statistical Office - Haus der Statistik - in the center of Berlin. A civil society initiative had prevented the demolition of the existing building from the 1960s and, together with the administration and other stakeholders, developed the concept for the conversion - a beacon for alternative approaches to urban development.

How can cities adapt to increasing urban heat? Explore practical strategies to monitor, mitigate and adapt to heat in urban areas together with experts from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK):

• Cost-effective mitigation strategies (24 April)
• AI for climate protection and innovation (6 May)

The aggregation of regional data on municipal development provides a country with a detailed overview of the implementation of the SDGs. During the expert exchange, representatives from South Africa and Germany will present the preparation of their Voluntary Subnational Reviews. Following the presentations, we will open the floor for a broader discussion on the VLR and VSR.

The amount of waste is growing worldwide due to increasing urbanisation, consumer patterns and industrial production. The digitalisation of the waste sector offers many ways to optimise the processes of waste collection, recycling and reuse. Municipal and regional stakeholders profit from technologic advantages, ranging from automatized waste disposal facilities over intelligent bins to AI supported data analysis - or trainings of the (globally often informal) workforce. The cooperation of public and private stakeholders, such as IT start-ups, can create mutual benefits.

Together, we will take a practical look at specific project ideas from the South East Europe/Caucasus region, discuss success factors for their implementation and promote the international exchange of experience. The aim of the event is to strengthen the dialogue between municipalities, financial institutions and experts, to make good practices visible and to further develop concrete, implementable project ideas.