Governance & Finance
When Committees Become Communities: Rebuilding Civic Culture in Syrian Cities
Neighbourhood committees in Syrian cities show that recovery is not only about rebuilding infrastructure but rebuilding civic culture. What makes local governance truly sustainable after conflict? By Ghada Rifai
Five Kilometres of Hope: How a Water Pipe Changed Lives in Imam Gharbi
Rebuilding often starts with the details. In Imam Gharbi, a town in the Iraqi district of Qayyarah, five kilometres of water pipes were enough to improve the lives of thousands – and strengthen the social cohesion of an entire community.
From Lived Experience to Collective Power: How Young People are Shaping Southeast Asian Cities
Across Southeast Asia, young people are confronting rapid urban transformation that promises progress but delivers displacement, exclusion, and uncertainty. Dang-Dao Nguyen examines how youth-led networks are reclaiming the Right to the City as a lived, political struggle
“‘Gringo,’ go home!” – How Short-Term Rentals Exacerbate the Housing Crisis in Mexico City
Short-term rentals are reshaping Mexico City’s housing market. As gentrification and displacement accelerate, protests reveal how tourism, remote work, and weak regulation deepen the urban housing crisis. By Clara-Luisa Weichelt
From Commodity to Collective: Rethinking Housing Affordability in Jakarta
Community-led rumah flat in Jakarta show how housing can function again as a social good, not a speculative asset. Elisa Sutanudjaja traces this shift towards more just and affordable cities.
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.