Centre on African Public Spaces’ Post

🌍 Join us at the World Urban Forum in Cairo for a vital discussion on "Social Media, Inequality, and Futures: Bridging Realities in Policy and Programming" How can social media bridge urban inequalities in the Global South? Join experts from across sectors as we explore innovative approaches to leveraging social media for positive change in displacement contexts. 📅 November 6, 2024 ⏰ 15:00 - 16:30 📍 Multipurpose Room 07, Egypt International Exhibition Center The discussion, facilitated by Dr. Romola Sanyal, Assosicate Profesor at LSE and Ida Zeline Lien, Head of Analysis at Urban-A, will address social media's role in navigating urban space and building communities. It will shed light on how digital divides and information access differ across stakeholders and demographic groups. And provide examples of localised initiatives that unpacks and leverages social media to confront urban inequalities. The session brings together findings from a research project on social media and inequality funded by the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE), led by LSE and Urban-A in partnership with ActionAid, Triangle, and Oxfam. Read more on the project website. The event has been made possible with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Design and Architecture Norway. At WUF, Urban-A will be exhibited and participate in a panel discussion at the Nordic Smart & Sustainable Cities reception organised by the Embassies of Finland, Norway and Sweden, together with the Nordic Embassies in Nairobi, Wednesday 6 November. We will also participate in the panel on the Networking event Recovery from natural disasters in conflict and displacement-affected urban contexts in the Middle East and North Africa. Hope to see you there! #WUF2024 #UrbanDevelopment #SocialMedia #DigitalInclusion #GlobalSouth #Urbanization #SocialInequality

COHESIVE COMMUNITIES - THE BACKBONE OF STRONG SOCIETIES In today's political climate, facing social and economic challenges resilience has become a buzzword for good reason. A growing number of studies suggest that local authorities and local communities play a central role in maintaining societal functions and protecting their populations. Resilience is about people and communities not just infrastructure and crisis plans. Empowering people, boosting their sense of belonging eventually will make municipality stronger and more attractive place – for settlement, investment or tourism. And #bsrculturalpearls is the accelerator for the small and mid-size cities on the way of developing socially resilient communities by engaging culture! Peer-learning, expert interventions, transnational exchange, individual mentorship and network of likeminded people and cities. APPLY by 24 May to become Cultural Pearl 2025: https://lnkd.in/dgcQmFXE To get inspired, take a look at the examples for citizen engagement and community solidarity on our website: https://lnkd.in/ddQde89R #culturalpearlstitle #cultureforresilience #MadewithInterreg Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Schleswig-Holstein    Loov Eesti/Creative Estonia   Varde Kommune    Vidzemes plānošanas reģions / Vidzeme Planning Region  Alytaus miesto savivaldybė   Regional Council of Ostrobothnia   Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture - NDPC   Danish Cultural Institute   Council of the Baltic Sea States   Interreg Baltic Sea Region  

In September, the Resilient Cities project has begun its first round of collaborative workshops in the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 🇫🇷 : the Policy Labs have started !🚀 But, what is a Policy Lab ?🤔 It’s a participative space for people with a migration background and local actors (civil servants and elected officials) to come together to build and test solutions for better welcoming policies in their communities. Over five months, they will meet in person in small groups to ideate and experiment local solutions to specific issues that affect local democracy. We’re currently running them in Ville de Lyon and Ville de Clermont-Ferrand 🙂 What kind of themes are being explored ? 1. The path to learning languages for people with a migration background 2. Access and diffusion of information 3. Access to public services, like the creation of a “citizenship card” 4. Access to culture 5. Civic and political participation Participants were put into groups according to their personal interests, their professional and municipal competencies and their language skills. Through a process of collective intelligence, each group will develop a solution they want to try out in their community. By the end of the year, they’ll have run their tests in order to send their recommendations for implementation to their local governments. We’ve only gone through the first ideation phase of the labs and already we’re excited to see what will come next. Stay tuned to see what solutions emerge this winter!❄️✨ Selma Rassoul Ismail Alkhateeb Imtinen Abidi Sophie Gholami Sedera Ranaivoarinosy Karla Tijero Sylvie Tomic Robert Bosch Stiftung #ResilientCities #PolicyLabs #CommunitySolutions #LocalDemocracy #InclusiveCommunities #WelcomingCities #MigrationSupport #InnovationForGood #CivicEngagement #AuvergneRhoneAlpes #Lyon #ClermontFerrand #CollectiveIntelligence #LocalImpact

Great opportunity to reflect on what really matters in urban areas. The metropolis of Buenos Aires as a case study provides a window of opportunity to revisit urban planning theories and methodologies strongly supported by social and environmental studies on well-being for several different reasons. On one hand, because it is a metropolis of the global south that early in its history has invested in greening, public transport and affordable housing. On the other hand, because the metropolis faces the common challenges of the global south in terms of horizontal extension, environmental crisis and slums proliferation developing tailor-made public policies that serve as reference to other cities in the country and in the region. How to enhance the quality of life in a metropolitan city like Buenos Aires? The answer may prioritize megaprojects to ensure cleaning rivers and creating great regional parks designed to restore biodiversity or focus on understanding social behaviour and providing problem-solving responses to specific individuals and collective needs to achieve well-being, enhancing digital services, promoting quality jobs and social services or facilitating the access to civil rights for dispossessed groups. Perhaps a mix of both kind of actions are optimal but it depends on a lot of factors that define what is feasibility to achieve for a local government. The global discussion on Quality of Life provides the opportunity to reflect on the struggles, and the beauty of cities taking care of its inhabitants. Not only their physical needs, but also their psychological and spiritual perceptions that influence their sense of belonging very much. A dialogue between practitioners and academics enriches this complex discussion understanding the challenges and tools available to transform our cities and metropolis as spaces of cohesive co-existance of human beings among themselves in harmony with their eco-systems. Join us to collectively reflect on feasible future cities benefiting of the practical experience and wisdom of professionals all around the world...

Focus on youth to build sustainable urban future. Read my Opinion piece in the Business Daily Africa

🌍 Shaping Tomorrow’s Cities Today: Youth Leading the Way on #WorldCitiesDay! By 2050, cities will be home to 70% of the global population. As hubs of culture, diversity, and democratic innovation, cities hold the potential to lead on sustainable development—yet they face immense challenges. This #WorldCitiesDay is themed Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalyzing Local Action for Urban Sustainability. Young people are not just residents of our cities; they are the architects of tomorrow’s urban landscapes. 🌱 In Europe, the European City Network is empowering cities to foster youth participation and promote democratic engagement at the local level. Through in-person and online gatherings our member cities collaborate to inspire youth-led initiatives, share expertise, and ensure that young voices are integral to urban policy. The collaboration among cities across Europe showcases what’s possible when local governments unite to build resilient urban spaces. If you are interested in collaborating with a diverse group of experts from all around Europe, then join us! The call for the third European Capital of Democracy is still open and by applying you become a member of this growing community! 🔵https://lnkd.in/dTGYEVzG Photo: Mural in Brussels by Rikardo Druskic Copyright: Rikardo Druskic UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) United Nations #UrbanOctober #SustainableCities #EuropeanCityNetwork

How can intergenerational connections preserve cultural practices? The ‘Baba Residence’ programme in Bulgaria connects young people with elderly villagers in Bulgaria for three to five weeks. The programme combines research, design thinking, and rural traditions. Today, over 200 residents and 5 000 elderly have benefitted from this intergenerational exchange, fresh perspectives and practical solutions. https://bit.ly/3B1XK6A In the future, the programme seeks to expand its network and address community needs. Explore more inspirational examples in our Good Practice database: 🔗 https://bit.ly/46j5WuU #RuralVisionEU #RuralPact Netzwerk Zukunftsraum Land Ruralni razvoj RH Landbrugsstyrelsen Netwerk Platteland / Regieorganisatie GLB Réseau national Agricultures et Ruralités CAP Network Ireland EU CAP Network Rete Rurale Nazionale Spanish Rural Development Network European Committee of the Regions European Economic and Social Committee European Youth Parliament (EYP) European Youth Forum

🌍 Calling All Representatives of Small Municipalities & Rural Communities! 🌱 As we prepare for a new Erasmus+ project proposal, we are conducting a needs analysis survey to understand how small and remote municipalities can build #climateresilient villages. This initiative is especially timely in the wake of the devastating #StormEowyn, which highlighted the vulnerabilities of rural regions in Ireland and beyond. Our project aims to support small municipalities by: ✅ Addressing outdated infrastructure & environmental challenges ✅ Tackling rural depopulation & limited access to innovation ✅ Providing life-long education in sustainable development for municipal representatives We want to hear from municipal staff, civic society representatives, and active community members in small villages—especially those in remote areas of Ireland. Your input is invaluable in shaping solutions that will drive climate-friendly and sustainable development. 📢 How can you help? Please take the short survey: https://lnkd.in/e2yKvu88 Together, we can create a future where rural communities thrive despite environmental and socio-economic challenges. 🌿🏡 Many Thanks in Advance!! 👏 #SustainableDevelopment #RuralInnovation #ErasmusPlus #CommunityAction #ClimateAdaptation

Dear LinkedIn Community, we are thrilled to share the highlights and key takeaways from our recent online event on Citizen Participation in Cities and Regions, hosted in collaboration with the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC)! 🗳️✨ The event brought together experts from Aarhus and KielRegion, who shared their valuable insights and successful participatory projects. Here are the main outcomes: 💡 Citizen Participation is Essential for Modern Urban Development: The event underscored the importance of citizen participation as a fundamental component of contemporary city planning and regional development. Active involvement of citizens leads to more vibrant, responsive, and sustainable communities. 💡Effective Participation Requires a Mix of Digital and Offline Formats: Speakers emphasized the need for a balanced approach that integrates both digital and offline participation formats. While digital platforms increase accessibility and convenience, offline interactions foster deeper connections and trust. 💡Trust and Transparency are Crucial for Successful Implementation: Participants highlighted that for citizen participation to be truly effective, people must trust that their suggestions will be heard and implemented. Transparency in the decision-making process is essential to build and maintain this trust. The event featured lively discussions and allowed attendees to engage directly with our expert speakers. It was a fantastic opportunity to explore best practices and share perspectives on enhancing citizen participation. We thank all our speakers and attendees for their invaluable contributions and look forward to continuing this important conversation on shaping the future of urban and regional development. 🎤 Stay tuned for more events and updates on how we can work together to foster inclusive and effective citizen participation! Rose Maria Z. Lisa JM Radtke Kim Svenia Strupp Wolfgang Schmidt Christian Lausten Sørensen #CitizenParticipation #UrbanDevelopment #RegionalDevelopment #Engagement #UBC #CityPlanning #TrustAndTransparency