Urban October is an opportunity started by UN Habitat for everyone to be part of the conversation about the challenges and opportunities created by the fast rate of change in our cities and towns. Each October, everyone interested in sustainable urbanization from national and local governments to universities, NGOs, and communities is encouraged to hold or participate in activities, events, and discussions. The month begins with World Habitat Day on the first Monday of the month and ends with World Cities Day on 31 October. Activities take place on those specific days or at any time during the month. Every year, GIZ Sector Programme Cities hosts an elaborate event programme throughout the month, which will be acessible on City-transitions.global.
The presentation showcases urban climate finance investments in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) enabled by the Gap Fund. We’ll highlight Savusavu (Fiji), where technical and financial support led to a coastal risk assessment and selection of appropriate protection infrastructure in a sea-level rise context. The session will also feature NbS projects in Brazil, sharing the methodology to assess NbS benefits developed in Rio de Janeiro and Campinas assignments, and its scalability to other cities, with the application in Palmas as an example. Overall, the aim is to demonstrate NbS as effective climate change adaptation measures for cities. Click here to participate: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzdmZWFhYTAtOTBkYi00YTEwLWFmMWMtZTg4MGRmMjhlZmY3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225bbab28c-def3-4604-8822-5e707da8dba8%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2220ab8048-d7ad-4dcf-a837-3ecd111b0170%22%7d
Opening Presentation: Mauricio Vélez from Asobancaria will deliver a presentation on the key opportunities for cities to access financing instruments and the challenges in promoting a fair and low-carbon urban transition. Panel Discussion: A panel will feature representatives from KFW, the World Bank, BID, discussing the development bank agenda and opportunities for financing sustainable urban projects. Closing Presentation: The event will conclude with a case study presentation from a local perspective like Findeter, providing practical insights and examples. https://www.youtube.com/@DNP_COLOMBIA/streams
In this Online Advisory Programme of the International Smart Cities Network (ISCN) we want to come together on Green infrastructure in Smart Cities. The twin transition of digitalization and sustainability will take place mainly in cities. And there is no climate-resilient cities without more trees. How can technology (sensors, platforms, etc.) and a protection and fostering of the organic, like trees, be meaningfully combined for common good-oriented infrastructure in cities? Discover some inspiring use cases with us and join the discussion! Click here to participate: https://bmwsb-bund.webex.com/weblink/register/raf7218dedef59847934c34cc51a48328
Human rights are everyone’s rights! So how can we ensure them in urban development? Join us in this online session on integrating a human rights-based approach (HRBA) into risk-informed urban development. After a brief introduction to the topic, practitioners from organization such as Slum Dwellers International and Build Change will give us insights into the realities of applying a human rights approach in selected countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. A Q&A session will follow, aiming to deepen participants’ understanding of HRBA in urban development, and learning from experiences to protect and promote human rights. GIZ internal event. For registration please contact RIA@giz.de.
Join us for a dynamic two-hour virtual panel discussing climate-friendly and inclusive urban upgrading. Explore how GIZ’s CBUID project fosters job creation and supports a just urban transition. Hear firsthand from beneficiaries, construction contractors, and consultants about their experiences in integrating construction projects with sustainable development and job creation. Engage in an interactive Q&A session and gain insights into effective urban development strategies. This event is held in Arabic and English. GIZ internal event.
Urban Development Fund (UDF) through Capacity Building through Urban Infrastructure Development (CBUID) and Connective Cities sector programme, is creating a heat vulnerability map for Aswan governorate to identify the most affected zones by climate change. The proposed event is a 3-day hackathon that focuses on one of these zones, where Aswan University students will develop practical climate change adaptation solutions to enhance urban resilience and social inclusion. At the end of the event, a jury comprising local and national government officials, academics, and experts will evaluate the proposals and select the winning team. The Urban Development Fund (UDF) will consider the solutions for potential implementation. This event is held in Arabic and English. On-site part public. | Online part only GIZ internal.
This session showcases the power of collaboration across the urban infrastructure project preparation value chain. Practical examples will be presented as well as lessons learnt shared along different “levels of collaboration”. For instance, opportunities of a new program platform for climate-resilient infrastructure investments in cities will be discussed, collaboration on capacity development between the Gap Fund, C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF) and Covenant of Mayors Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) explained and a new standardized methodology to assess national frameworks conditions for urban climate finance, supported by UrbanAct, presented. Overall, the session shall serve as an inspirational input for GIZ integrated solutions in light of a (more) efficient use of resources. This is a GIZ internal event. GIZ-colleagues can register via email to carolin.koenig@giz.de.
The degree of digitalization and integrated working methods in local administrations in sub-Saharan Africa are at different stages of development and range from the exclusive use of the MS Office package to tailormade digital administrative solutions. In the area of tax collection, however, it is particularly helpful for property-related taxes to collect, process and visualize data in a georeferenced manner. GIZ advises local administrations in many partner countries with various needs-oriented and sometimes cross-sectoral approaches, which will be shared and discussed. The session should serve as an GIZ internal exchange on lessons learned, the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches as well as networking for continuous learning. This event is held in French and Enlish. | GIZ internal event.
The Buildings and Climate Global Forum in March 2024 emphasized the construction sector's crucial role in global climate agendas. The subsequent formation of the Subnationals Action Group under GlobalABC, co-led by UNEP, ICLEI, UN-Habitat, and GIZ, highlighted cities' impact. GIZ and its partners will facilitate discussions on the essential involvement of subnational actors in decarbonizing the building sector, focusing on financing and investment. Co-organized with ICLEI, the event will explore strategies to accelerate progress toward net-zero emissions within the Daring Cities framework. Click here to participate: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDhiZGQ5MjctNjY0NS00NzBkLTgxYWUtMmJlNGUyOTZkMGI1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225bbab28c-def3-4604-8822-5e707da8dba8%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22aa55f3ef-eab4-490e-b313-910fc84ce2e1%22%7d
UN-Habitat developed guidelines on people-centered smart cities. They will be a non-binding framework to guide the development of national and local smart city regulations, plans and strategies, which will ensure that digital urban infrastructure and data contribute to making cities and human settlements sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous and respectful of human rights. At the Smart Country Convention in Berlin, representatives from German as well as European cities that have been engaged in the project #connectedinEurope via the exchange platform of the International Smart Cities Network (ISCN) will share their ideas and visions emerged from their daily work in driving an inclusive, future-fit, and human-centric urban development – supported by digital solutions. This is an on-site event at the Smart Country Convention (SCCON) in Berlin.