Connective Cities

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Connective Cities

International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development

Connective Cities, the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Development, facilitates practice-oriented sharing of experience between German municipalities and projects of international cooperation, processing new learning experience on effective solutions and feeding them back into the Community of Practice. Connective Cities is a cooperation project of the Deutsche Gesellscha

ft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German Association of Cities (DST) and Engagement Global (EG) with its Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW). Connective Cities has regional external structures in the focus regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Europe/Caucasus (SEE). Additionally, Connective Cities is also active in the regions of Asia and Latin America. The cooperation project is carried out on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

03/09/2026

How resilient are our municipalities when critical infrastructure is disrupted?

A power outage can affect much more than electricity. Water supply, communication, transport and emergency services are closely interconnected – and disruptions can quickly cascade across systems.

At the kick-off of our regional Connective Cities Learning Process in Tirana, 30 experts from 13 municipalities and nine countries came together to explore how these risks can be better understood and addressed locally.

The result: eleven municipal action plans – from backup power for heating systems and digital infrastructure monitoring to flood prevention, crisis communication and stronger coordination in emergencies.

Our new documentation captures the key insights, municipal experiences and practical solutions developed in Tirana – and shows how municipalities are moving from understanding vulnerabilities towards concrete local action.

📘 Curious to learn more? Explore the full documentation:
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/municipal-resilience-safeguarding-critical-infrastructure/

02/09/2026

🚀 Municipalities play a central role in promoting startups: They network with stakeholders, provide founders with advice and support, and offer infrastructure and resources. They also facilitate access to funding and contacts with investors. In short, they create a founder-friendly climate and ecosystem at the local level.

🌐 From 30 June to 2 July 2026, around 25 experts from 11 local authorities and seven countries gathered in to share their experiences, learn from each other and develop new approaches together. Despite their different circumstances, many municipalities worldwide face similar challenges, including a lack of role models and networking opportunities, bureaucratic hurdles and inadequate infrastructure.

💡 However, 13 examples of good practice demonstrated how these challenges can be overcome. The event marked the launch of a new Connective Cities learning process. Take a look at our comprehensive documentation!
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/startups-and-innovation-labor-market-opportunities-and-prospects-for-young-people/

25/08/2026

“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood,” the French physicist Marie Curie once wrote. With this in mind, this issue takes a focused look at how municipalities can better protect their residents from extreme heat, make critical infrastructure more resilient, and create new opportunities for young people. We hope to deepen your understanding too, and we wish you an inspiring read!
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/newsletter-issue-no-97-august-2026/

03/08/2026

🌡️Heat affects us all. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing and deadliest climate risks.

💪However, we are not powerless against it. Municipalities around the world are developing and sharing comprehensive strategies. These range from heat action plans and green and blue infrastructure planning to smart rainwater management, the use of AI, and the creation of digital twins for risk-informed crisis management.

🌇We’ve compiled a set of illustrative examples from the Connective Cities context for you, complemented by additional resources for further exploration:
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/how-can-municipalities-cope-with-the-heat/

21/07/2026

Our July newsletter edition is out now! Read about how local authorities are collaborating with businesses to stimulate the local economy through green hydrogen, how obstacles to infrastructure projects are being overcome, how start-ups are creating job opportunities for young people, and the many advantages of urban digital twins. Don't forget to apply for the Goerdeler Prize, either!
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/newsletter-issue-no-96-july-2026/

15/07/2026

🌍 Developing Green Hydrogen Projects through Municipal Partnerships

How can municipalities shape a just energy transition while creating new opportunities for sustainable economic development?
From 8–12 June 2026, Connective Cities, together with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Waterberg District Municipality, brought together municipal representatives, researchers and industry experts from South Africa, Germany, Namibia and Kenya for an international Expert Mission on Green Hydrogen and Sustainable Economic Development.

Throughout the week, participants exchanged experiences on how municipalities can prepare for the emerging green hydrogen economy and support a just transition from coal-dependent industries. Site visits to the Eskom Matimba Power Station, the Exxaro Solar Power Station, and local education and training facilities provided valuable insights into the region's transitioning towards green energy production.

The following key topics of this process came to light:
▪️ Green hydrogen as a driver of local economic development and job creation
▪️ Municipal readiness for the energy transition
▪️ Skills development and capacity building
▪️ Governance, financing and strategic partnerships
▪️ Regional cooperation for sustainable industrial transformation
The mission concluded with a strategy workshop, where participants jointly developed a 36-month roadmap for regional development, outlining concrete priorities for infrastructure, investment, skills development and partnership building to advance the vision of a future “Waterberg Hydrogen Corridor”.

🤝 A sincere thank you to all partners, speakers and participants for their valuable contributions and commitment throughout the week. We look forward to continuing the collaboration and supporting municipalities on their path towards a sustainable energy future.

Take a look at the review: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/driver-of-green-transformation-connective-cities-expert-mission-in-waterberg/

10/07/2026

How can municipalities successfully integrate nature-based solutions into urban planning and climate resilience?
Join our upcoming Connective Cities Insight Session on 15 July 2026 (13:00–14:30 CEST) and explore practical approaches to planning and implementing Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for more resilient municipalities. 🌍

The session will include presentations by Andreas Wolter, President of Climate Alliance, on the role of municipal networks in climate resilience; McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, on mainstreaming nature-based solutions in urban governance; and Dr. Kirk B. Neu on evidence-based approaches to flood resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The event is open to municipal practitioners, urban planners, climate and resilience experts, researchers, development partners, and all members of the Connective Cities network. The session will be held in English with French interpretation.

📅 15 July 2026 | 13:00–14:30 CEST

💡 Learn More: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/insight-session-municipalities-advancing-nature-based-solutions/
👉 Register here: https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/1607

09/07/2026

Call for Applications: Municipal Award 2027

Are you part of an international municipal partnership working on resilience, civil protection, or crisis preparedness?

The Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation Fund is now open for applications! This year's theme is:

"Resilient Municipalities: Municipal Partnerships for Civil Protection, Critical Infrastructure and Crisis Preparedness."

The award recognises innovative and transferable municipal cooperation and includes a prize of EUR 2,000.

📌 Important: A German municipality or a municipal alliance must be involved in the partnership to be eligible to apply.

We encourage municipalities and municipal alliances to showcase their good practices and inspire others through international exchange.

🗓️ Application deadline: 31 August 2026

📩 For further information or to apply:

https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/call-for-applications-goerdeler-award-2027/

02/07/2026

🌳 Insight Session: Urban Micro Forests in Drought-Affected Regions

Can tiny forests help cities adapt to drought and extreme heat?
📅 Wednesday, 8 July 2026
🕚 11:00–12:00 CEST
🌐 Online
🗣️ English with French simultaneous interpretation

As heat waves and droughts intensify in many regions, municipalities around the world are searching for innovative nature-based solutions to increase resilience. But can Urban Micro Forests be planted in regions facing chronic water scarcity and rising temperatures?

Join the next Connective Cities Insight Session to explore the potential of the Miyawaki Method—a thriving approach to creating dense, native forests in small urban spaces. Beyond improving biodiversity and cooling cities, these forests can strengthen ecosystem services and contribute to disaster risk reduction.

🌱 What to expect:
Stefan Scharfe (MIYA Forest e.V., Germany) will share practical insights from planting more than 40 urban micro forests in Germany and the MENA region, highlighting lessons learned from implementation, education and community engagement.
Deema Assaf (TAYYŪN, Jordan) will present her pioneering work introducing the first Miyawaki forest in the Middle East. Drawing on years of experience in ecological design, native seed propagation and community-led planting initiatives, she will discuss how the method can be adapted to arid environments.

The session will conclude with an interactive exchange on the opportunities and challenges of implementing Urban Micro Forests in drought-affected municipalities across Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

Learn more: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/insight-session-urban-micro-forests-in-drought-affected-regions/

🔗 Register now via the Connective Cities Community Platform:
https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/1606

We look forward to welcome you in our discussion!

24/06/2026

Examining their own challenges in water resilience, learning from experiences on other continents, and finding the courage to put innovative ideas into practice – these were the key elements of the first in-person meeting as part of the Connective Cities Deep Dive, held in Wuppertal from 5 to 7 May 2026.

In early 2026, a total of 16 experts from the German municipalities of Dresden, Wunstorf and Wuppertal, as well as from Akkaraipattu (Sri Lanka), Homa Bay (Kenya), Hyderabad (India), Natitingou (Benin) and Niš (Serbia), have started a two-year long working together to analyse innovative approaches and how they might be implemented. On this basis, they are developing and implementing locally adapted solutions to their respective challenges.

The report describes practical examples from Wuppertal and Leipzig, outlines the planned pilot projects of the six municipalities and summarises the key takeaways from the process so far. Very promising!
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/newsletter-issue-no-95-june-2026/

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