The Mirage of Purpose-Built Cities
Gulf purpose-built cities like Masdar and NEOM often fall short of their grand visions, becoming underpopulated and more symbolic than lived. Yasser Elsheshtawy calls for more grounded, socially responsive approaches that prioritise everyday life over spectacle.
Loss and Damage in Informal Urban Settlements: How Digital Solutions Can Support Pathways Towards More Climate Justice
Digital tools expose where climate loss and damage hits hardest in informal settlements — a shift highlighted by Jacqueline Wingens through Nairobi’s Pamoja Trust.
Rebuilding Trust on the Move: How Blockchain Can Help Transform Public Transport
From half-finished flyovers and hours of standstill to “limited public funding,” public transport across the Global South is chronically underfunded. The consequence? Eroded public trust. Tuhu Nugraha shows how blockchain technology could turn promises into verifiable progress on sustainable infrastructure – enabling shared responsibility, fairness, and renewed trust.
From Fear to Resilience: Urban Informal Settlements in the Global South
Across the Global South, families like Asma Banu’s live under eviction threats while powering cities. Her story demands dignity, secure tenure and basic services for all. By Muaz Hussain
Co-Creating Homes: An Emphatic Approach to Slum Upgrading
Abuja, Nigeria’s fast-growing capital, is home to Garki Village, a prominent slum area. Often dismissed as an eyesore, it challenges conventional ideas of housing interventions. Maryam Abbakyari shows how empathy and co-creation with residents can transform slum upgrading from technical fixes into climate-responsive, culturally rooted solutions.
Berlin and Mexico City: Rethinking Partnerships to Envision the Cities We Aspire To
The Berlin–Mexico City partnership, part of the Sister Cities in Action project, shows how city collaborations can move beyond official ties and become dynamic, community-driven initiatives. Silvana Almaraz describes how, by equality, South–South learning, and intersectionality, the tandem creates inclusive spaces where civil society leads collective action.