Addressing urban issues is crucial for solving grand societal and planetary challenges in the contemporary world. While goals and strategies, such as Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals are global ambitions, enhancing sustainability and livability on a local urban scale is key. This workshop series aims at developing visions on just, sustainable and livable urban areas in Africa, discussing the pathways to make those visions a reality and how international cooperation can support local urban transitions.

JPI Urban Europe, START and ICLEI Africa invite you to join these workshops to share your perspectives, experiences and knowledge on sustainable and livable urban areas. The aim is to identify critical fields for action on urban transitions which have the potential to be addressed jointly. Your participation and input will help shape international outreach activities of the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT) to Africa. DUT aligns Member States’ and European Commissions’ efforts to build a critical mass for urban transitions. The outcomes of the workshops will be used for organizing upcoming activities and as a basis for discussions with funding agencies, ministries and other (funding) organizations for cooperation opportunities. Additionally, participants in the workshop series will have the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative output at the end of the series.

Aim of Workshops

• Identify the most pressing issues, challenges and dilemmas regarding Driving Urban Transitions in African countries
• Identify access points to jointly address those issues, challenges and dilemmas in cooperative schemes
• Exchange around opportunities for international stakeholders to continue the dialogue and engage in the partnership

What you can expect from the workshop  

• Exchange with peers and experts addressing urban challenges and transforming urban areas to sustainable and livable places
• Co-creation: engage in interactive exercises to jointly reflect on how urban actors such as local administrations, municipalities, businesses, researchers, social innovators and inhabitants can drive transformations.
• Contribute to a collaborative publication at the end of the workshop series.
• Networking: You are welcome to connect to the AGORA community, the network of urban actors maintained by JPI Urban Europe.

Workshop 1: Pathways towards 15-Minute Cities in African Urban Areas
Date: 22 September 2021
14.30-18.30 Central African Time (UTC+2)
Registration: https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/event-calendar/workshop-driving-urban-transition-towards-sustainable-futures-in-africa/

Workshop 2: Circular and Regenerative Urban Economies in African Urban Areas
Date: TBA (February 2022)

Workshop 3: Just Energy Transitions in African Urban Areas
Date: TBA (April 2022)