Peer-learning Workshop on Participatory, Risk-informed Urban Planning in Tomorrow’s African Cities 

From September 28th to the 30th, 2023, in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, was held a Peer Learning Workshop, at the Ardhi University, on: “Co-Creating Tomorrow’s Cities: Participatory, risk-informed urban planning in African cities”. 

This workshop was organized within the framework of collaboration between United Cities and Local Government (UCLG), United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLG Africa), UCLG Committee on Urban Strategic Planning, and the Tomorrow’s Cities Research Hub, in partnership with the Temeke Municipality and the Ardhi University, Tanzania.  

During this workshop, 30 participants from eight (08) African countries, namely: Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Ghana, The Gambia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania were mobilized and benefited from this peer-learning workshop.  

The targeted audience included: 1) planning and disaster-risk reduction officers from Local and Regional Governments; and 2) actors supporting and partnering with Local and Regional Governments in urban planning processes, such as representatives from civil society and academia. As this workshop applies a peer-to-peer learning methodology, a call was made for participants that are interested in sharing reflections and lessons learned from their own experience of being involved in tackling multi-hazard disaster risk and in inclusive urban planning processes. 

This peer learning workshop aimed to enhance the capabilities of Local and Regional Governments to generate risk-sensitive, socially inclusive plans for as yet unbuilt places and communities. The key expected learning outcomes for this workshop include: 

  • Better understanding of the different components and stages involved in developing participatory risk-sensitive planning for areas yet to be urbanized; 
  • Enhanced capacity to use data on current and future social, natural and physical dynamics in participatory spatial planning processes; 
  • Increased awareness about the enabling conditions that need to be in place for local and regional governments to incorporate multi-hazard, socially inclusive disaster risk considerations in their future planning processes. 

The works during these three (03) days were marked by several segments, including: An official opening, with a speech by Dr. Najat ZARROUK on behalf of UCLG Africa, and of the Honorable Mayor of the Temeke Municipal Council, Mr. Abdallah Mtinika, interactive sessions, games and icebreaking Sessions, a field visit, practical sessions and a closing ceremony. 

For more information on this Peer Learning Workshop, visit the following link.