WUF12 in Cairo: “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities”
The twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), took place from November 4 to 8, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt. The Facilitation and Synthesis Research (F&SR) team, along with three projects, had the opportunity to showcase the SURE funding priority and share insights into their projects across five events:
- Knowledge transfer for Sustainable Development of Urban Regions
The first session was hosted by the F&SR Team to introduce SURE Solutions. During the event practical experiences from the regions of Southeast Asia and China were presented, focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Highlights included practical project experiences such as co-visioning workshops, regional networking forums, and the SURE Toolbox for Reflection, which integrates reflective practices into transdisciplinary project work.
- Spatial Co-Visioning and Stakeholder Engagement at the Urban-Rural Interface. Methods, tools and processes.
This training introduced a practical co-visioning methodology for engaging multi-stakeholder groups, including policymakers, scientists, planners, and civil society initiatives. The methodology aims to drive sustainable transformation of urban-rural regions towards a circular, climate-friendly, and socially inclusive future. Participants went through a simulated co-visioning process and gained practical experience in collaborative planning.
- Transformative Urban Research for Sustainable Urban Regions
This event focused on transformative urban research in Southeast Asia. Innovative tools such as the SURE Atlas – a dashboard to visually present the funding priority - and methods from the SURE program were presented by the F&SR Team. In a following dialog the advantages of different tools to improve cross-cultural and cross-sectoral knowledge was discussed with the audience. The session emphasized aligning global goals with local needs
- Collaborative Alliances for Sustainable Urban Regions – German-Asian Transdisciplinary Research
In this panel discussion, three SURE projects discussed along with the F&SR Team the future of sustainable urban regions from the perspective of German-Asian collaboration. The researchers presented innovative solutions focusing on urban water management, socio-ecological urban-rural development, and integrated living and housing in Southeast Asia and China. The session emphasized the importance of establishing a strong communication foundation with local stakeholders to ensure successful collaboration. Especially in a transdisciplinary context, it is crucial to build trust with local stakeholders and view encounters as a mutual learning process on an equal footing. Additionally, different countries pursue very different approaches to research and innovation programs, making it essential to understand these differences in order to form solid partnerships. It was further emphasized that it is important to invest in science communication and involve practical partners, as cities are not interested in concepts but in solutions to concrete problems.
- Co-Visioning Integrated Urban-Rural Regions in China and Germany
This session explored the collaborative vision-building process developed by the Sino-German research project Urban-Rural Assembly. The "Co-Visioning methodology" strengthens integrated and sustainable urban-rural planning by encouraging community-driven transformation. The process improves resource efficiency, supports regional circular economies, promotes social inclusion, preserves cultural heritage, and restores ecosystems. A film, highlighted as an effective format for science communication, visualized the Co-Visioning methodology of URA and made it cross-culturally accessible and understandable. It conveyed its core ideas, methods, and benefits for the integration of urban and rural areas. Additionally, it was emphasized that solutions must be contextualized, with approaches being adaptable and transferable to different settings.