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Cities and Social Solutions: a webinar series on building inclusive and thriving communities
Get inspired by our moderated webinar series featuring the inspiring voices of those who design and manage some of the world’s most impactful urban social policies.
Inequities of all kinds often find their most pronounced and visible expression in cities. In response, a growing number of municipal administrations are combining local participatory action with national and international knowledge exchange, thus becoming laboratories for impactful and sustainable social solutions.
Between February and May 2024, the City Diplomacy Lab and Columbia Global Centers | Paris brought together the representatives of cities that have implemented some of the most impactful and sustainable social actions.
The four webinars of the Cities and Social Solutions series covered the local challenges and solutions regarding social justice, gender, inclusion, and age. Each webinar saw the participation of representatives of three champion cities from different continents.
This series celebrates the leadership of cities and provides inspiration for the thousands of cities and local governments around the world committed to shaping an equitable future for all urban residents.
Cities and Social Solutions | Social Justice (February 15, 2024)
How do we transform cities from hubs of multiple and intersecting inequalities into laboratories for developing and deploying the most effective solutions for social justice?
Key topics: inclusive growth; housing, employment; education; access to amenities; support for families and young people; social security; safety.
Partner: Global Leeds
Cities represented: eThekwini (City of Durban, South Africa), Leeds (United Kingdom), and New Orleans (United States).
Panelists:
- Roshini Bob, Project Executive, Community, and Emergency Services Cluster, eThekwini Municipality
- Liz Jarmin, Head of Locality Partnerships, Leeds City Council
- Kahlida Nicole Lloyd, Director, Office of Human Rights and Equity, City of New Orleans
Moderator: Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Cities and Social Solutions | Gender (March 14, 2024)
Ambitious gender equity goals are driving the local policies and international advocacy of a growing number of cities. What are the concrete results of this engagement in urban communities? What impact does the “voice of cities” for gender equity have on the international stage?
Key topics: gender equity; gender-based discrimination; women, gender diverse and feminist leaders; equitable gender representation in local politics; care and well-being; feminist municipal movement.
Partner: City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE).
Cities represented: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Freetown (Sierra Leone), and Louisville (United States).
Panelists:
- Micaela Saban, General Director of Women’s Economic Autonomy, City of Buenos Aires
- Manja Kargbo, Team Lead, Mayor’s Delivery Unit, City of Freetown
- Gretchen Hunt, Director, Office for Women, Louisville Metro Government
Opening remarks by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab Founding Director.
Moderation by Leslie Crosdale, CHANGE Co-Executive Director.
Languages: English and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation.
Cities and Social Solutions | Inclusion (April 18, 2024)
How can cities promote inclusion through policies and services? And how can they join forces to accomplish such a purpose?
Key topics: migrant and refugee reception and integration; accessibility of municipal services to migrants; integration of migrants into local political life; countering fake news; diversity; sanctuary cities.
Partner: UNESCO International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities − ICCAR.
Cities represented: Barcelona (Spain), Gwangju (South Korea), Montevideo (Uruguay).
Panelists:
- Ana Isabel Rodriguez Basanta, Director, Department of Human Rights, City of Barcelona
- Gyonggu Shin, Special Adviser to the Mayor of Gwangju and Executive Director of the Gwangju International Center
- Fabiana Goyeneche, Director of International Relations, City of Montevideo
Opening remarks by Euan Mackway-Jones, Program Specialist, UNESCO
Moderator: Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab.
Cities and Social Solutions | Age (May 16, 2024)
How can cities foster the full participation of senior citizens in community life and promote healthy and active aging? What is the added value of international city-to-city cooperation in achieving such a goal?
Key topics: child rights at the local level; participation of older people in community life; healthy and active aging; integration of age-related equity goals into urban planning.
Partners: WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities and the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center.
Cities represented: Cardiff (United Kingdom), Cockburn (Australia), and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates).
Panelists:
- Nicola Pitman, Age-Friendly Lead Officer, Cardiff Council
- Julie McDonald, Seniors Centre Coordinator, City of Cockburn
- Asma Alkhudari, Director of Sharjah Age-Friendly Office
Opening remarks by John R. Beard, Director, International Longevity Center – USA, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, and Thiago Hérick de Sá, Technical Officer, Age-friendly Environments, World Health Organization.
Moderation by Andrew Wells, Program Coordinator, Columbia Global Centers | Paris.
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City diplomacy after dark: urban networks for better cities at night
Cities have been planned for centuries to be fully operational during the day, but several activities take place in cities between 6 pm and 6 am. Services such as waste collection and management of green areas, logistics of goods, healthcare, and public transport often operate around the clock, with a considerable impact on the urban fabric in addition to the sectors that are traditionally recognized as part of the night-time economy, such as bars, restaurants, clubs, and music venues. 1 out of 15 workers in North America and 1 out of 9 workers in Australia work at night-time, while the night-time economy supports 723,000 jobs in London.
Reshaping how cities function at night to improve services and public spaces for a better quality of life for the residents is a global challenge. Across the globe, more than 100 cities are creating night policies aimed at enhancing the impact of night-time activities for developing new forms of environmental, economic, and social development.
At the same time, night policies are fostering a balance among the needs of different categories of residents, acting on a series of challenges such as the promotion of business and cultural vibrancy, the connection between night-time economy and tourism attractiveness, the creative reuse of public spaces and green areas at night in times of climate emergency, the contrast to noise pollution and the extension of public services after dark, such as public libraries, nurseries, and urban mobility systems.
Bars and clubs are some of the venues traditionally associated with the night-time economy, as in the case of Budva – Credits: Simone d’Antonio Governing the night after the emergency
The collaboration among local governments on night-time policies is particularly important for supporting the long-term recovery of some of the sectors more strongly affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic had a devasting impact on the night-time economy, with a high number of clubs and music venues that struggled to reopen and night services that were canceled or strongly reduced. However, a global debate on night-time recovery after COVID-19 led many local authorities around the world to reflect on the impact of the sector on local economies and on city attractiveness. Safely reopening bars, clubs, and cultural venues was the priority, but some habits that emerged after the pandemic, such as a stronger use of outdoor spaces, are positively kept but need to be effectively managed to improve the quality of life in cities and guarantee the right to the city at night for all.
The need for more integrated governance of the challenges related to the night-time economy was revamped in many cities across the globe. Local governments appointed night mayors or created night commissions, following the example of cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich and San Francisco that consolidated these forms of governance by the beginning of the 2000s, while other cities created night-time economy offices which fostered the coordination among different departments with policies having a direct impact on the night-time.
Many local authorities appointed deputy mayors or councilors with thematic competencies on night issues, reinforcing the collaboration with the mayor’s offices or with public safety, economic development, or cultural policies. Stronger ownership of the night-time challenges also led to the recognition of the clubbing culture as part of the cultural landscape in Berlin and to the creation of initiatives such as funding schemes for supporting the cultural vibrancy of music venues in Tallinn or the installation of soundproof systems in night venues in Paris.
Innovative lighting systems can improve the use of public spaces and the perception of safety at night, as is happening in Zadar – Credits: Simone d’Antonio The urban networks on night-time economy
Even though the night-time economy is an emerging field in the urban debate across the globe, there are still not so many urban networks or collaborative projects fostering the dialogue among local authorities on the topic. One of these few is Cities After Dark, the first EU co-funded network promoted by the URBACT program, which is fostering the creation of integrated action plans in 10 European cities that are exploring the different dimensions of urbanity at night.
Led by Braga and having Paris, Tallinn, Nicosia, Genoa, Malaga, Varna, Piraeus, Budva, and Zadar as partners, the network is spreading a stronger awareness of the role played by cultural venues, clubs, and other night hubs for the quality of life of the inhabitants and for the future of cities, which can regenerate unused spaces and structures also rethinking the operational hours and the connection with other urban services and infrastructures. This diverse group of cities comprises urban contexts with different experiences in the night-time economy but is united by the commitment to making the night an open laboratory for experimenting with innovative functions that can improve how cities operate on a 24/7 basis, leaving no one behind.
Elements such as the promotion of gender equality and the access of women and minority groups to better jobs at night recall a series of challenges that need to be tackled acting on several dimensions at urban level, from the redesign of public spaces and public lighting systems to the accessibility of public transport and the safety of cultural and entertainment venues.
Music venues such as the Gnration in Braga are decisive for improving the quality of the cultural offer at night – Credits: Simone d’Antonio The role of city diplomacy in making cities better at night
City diplomacy can be a powerful ally for making cities better at night. The dialogue among city representatives, experts, and night activists organized at the occasion of the last UN Habitat’s World Urban Forum of Katowice and fuelled by the Safer Cities Programme is an interesting example of how global forums can spark the conversation on a topic that is crucial for the future of cities. Consultancy agencies are acting as a point of reference for night mayors, experts, and practitioners across the globe, while major events such as the Montreal Night Summit MTL 24/24 are fostering collaboration among night-time managers and experts from America and the rest of the world.
City diplomacy can also be decisive for popularizing the discourse over the potential of the night as a testing ground for innovative actions in the cities of the Global South, where thematic policies or integrated forms of governance of the night-time economy are less present than in the rest of the world. The analysis of different night strategies, action plans, and integrated forms of governance is an important step for raising awareness on a topic such as the night-time economy, which has been rooted in the tradition of numerous countries (for example, with night markets or other forms of public life and celebration after dark) but can still act as a driver for growth with activities fostering not only economic and cultural vibrancy but also safety and community spirit.
Simone d’Antonio
City Diplomacy Lab Associate Fellow & URBACT Lead Expert – Cities After Dark
Author of the Cities After Dark Baseline Study and Network Roadmap
Header image: the partners of the URBACT network Cities After Dark at the Machine du Moulin Rouge, at the occasion of the Transnational Meeting of Paris in February 2024 – Credits: Simone d’Antonio
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Interview with Rosine Pema Sanga, New Orleans’ Head City Diplomat
What path led you to become a city diplomat?
My experience as an international student from Toucountouna, Benin, to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States of America is what led me to become a City Diplomat. In 2007, I moved to New Orleans to pursue my education, starting with learning English as a Second Language at the Intensive English Language Program at the University of New Orleans (UNO). During that time, I met Mrs. LaToya Cantrell, then President of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, who was meeting with leaders from various African countries.
I assisted Mrs. Cantrell with the visitors and loved interacting with them. In December 2012, I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from UNO and was hired as the Executive Assistant of Councilmember LaToya Cantrell after she had been elected to District “B” in November 2012. Councilmember Cantrell has long believed in meeting people where they are and wanted to serve everyone in her district, including non-English speakers. In addition to English, I also speak French and Spanish, which was and continues to serve as a benefit when serving the city’s diverse population. While employed in this role, I continued to work with international visitors who met with Councilmember Cantrell from the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council, the current Global New Orleans, through the United States Department of States International Visitor Leadership Program. Whenever I met with any of the groups and spoke to them in their own language, the visitors’ faces would light up as they exclaimed, “Wow, you speak our language!” They were always excited to meet someone who spoke their language. The reactions were priceless, and I loved it. Councilmember Cantrell also loved these meetings, and my passion for serving our people both locally and internationally grew from there. Even though I studied International Studies, I did not think I would ever find myself in this position. I knew I wanted to be a diplomat but did not foresee it happening locally.
What was the most complex challenge you faced as head of New Orleans’ international relations unit, and how did you deal with it?
The challenges that I faced as the Director of International Relations of the City of New Orleans stemmed from being a young Black woman from another country. It is already challenging enough to be a Black woman because you are never considered “enough” or equal to others, but also add to that being young and from another country really heightens the challenge. But I wouldn’t change any of that about me because that is what makes Rosine PEMA SANGA a proud daughter of my late parents. One example of the challenges as a young black woman from another country took place two weeks after I started my job. The Mayor was scheduled to give remarks at an event, and I was to go with her. That morning, I was informed she would no longer attend, and I would need to represent her and speak on her behalf. When I arrived at the event, I overheard people talking about the Mayor and Councilmember canceling their attendance, and both were sending representatives. The young Black woman in me wondered whether I should introduce myself. I walked away at first and came back to introduce myself as if I just arrived. I walked away again after they handed me the program. I felt their disappointment because I was not the Mayor. Moreover, I was a young Black woman. They didn’t know what I could do. When the event started, it was my turn to address the public on behalf of the Mayor.
Facing intimidation, I remembered who I was representing and what she would have done if she had been there. I did not have to deal with it in any way other than getting my job done. I gave my remarks in English and transitioned into the audience’s native language. Everyone was shocked. No one expected me to be able to speak with confidence and to address them in their native tongue. Now, we have a better working relationship, and they are always looking forward to having me at their events. I treasured that moment because of the reaction before and after my remarks. I reflect on it often, and it helps me grow.
There is something I learned from my pastor in 2007 when I was still learning English – while preaching, he would say never allow anyone to take your joy away. Though my English was not great, I managed to understand that, and I made that phrase my own. I wake up every morning with a purpose: to accomplish the task that the Mayor entrusted me with and serve the community who depend on me. The communities I serve are proud to have me, and I am proud of what I have accomplished with all our partners.
What is the most treasured moment in your city diplomacy career?
Every moment that I am serving the Office of International Relations for the City of New Orleans is a treasured moment for me. I love my job; it truly is a passion, and I believe I have the best job. I am grateful to Mayor LaToya Cantrell for awarding me the opportunity to work with people from all over the world. Through my work, I have welcomed people from other countries, from our Sister Cities, as well as traveled to different countries as part of my official duties. I have represented the Mayor numerous times in various countries at various events, including the International Association of Francophone Mayors’ Annual Summit, which I am always looking forward to attending every year. I also get the pleasure of conversing and sharing my work with international dignitaries and guests brought to me by Global New Orleans through the United States Department of States International Visitor Leadership Program. We invited President Emmanuel Macron of France in March 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and we were graced with his visit to New Orleans in December 2022. I was proud to be part of the planning committee, even standing by his plane late at night waiting for his departure. All these moments are treasured.
I do want to mention one moment: this occurred this past March 8, 2024, on International Women’s Rights Day. I grew up watching my mother lead women’s associations and organize International Women’s Rights Day events. After I moved to New Orleans, every year at the end of January, I would talk to my mother as she started planning for March 8. In 2015, I lost my mother. Since then, from the end of January until March 8, I have always remembered my mother because she would be planning and talking about International Women’s Rights Day. When I began working here, I always wanted to initiate International Women’s Rights Day, but I lacked the (wo)manpower.
Finally, this year, with the help of certain colleagues, we were able to gather over 150 women for International Women’s Rights Day. It was raining, but women came from different departments looking forward to taking a picture to commemorate that day. It allowed me to understand that many women wanted that event, and we look forward to a bigger and better International Women’s Rights Day in 2025. Even with the weather forecast and short notice, many people showed up and were interested in seeing more. I will never forget that day.
When my mother visited New Orleans in 2008, one of the first English words she learned was “crazy,” so she could tell people her Rosine was crazy. That day, I could hear my mom telling the crowd that Rosine was crazy, and it always made me smile because I knew it was her way of telling people Rosine was my daughter, and I loved her.
In your opinion, how will the work of city diplomats evolve in the coming years?
I am unsure how the work of city diplomats will evolve in the coming years because this depends on future administrations’ willingness to commit to the program. The last time the City of New Orleans had an office of International Relations was at least ten years before Mayor Cantrell. If International Affairs were not a priority for Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration, we would not be having this conversation. However, for the past five years that I have been in this role, I believe cities like ours, meaning world-class and internationally recognized cities, deserve a fully functional Office of International Affairs/Relations. The city has almost 50 Consular Corps members, though many of them are honorary. I believe it is essential for a city diplomat to always be a part of any administration because our work aligns with the country’s interests in terms of the country’s foreign policy, and it allows us to maintain our relationships and cultivate new ones across the globe.
What advice would you offer those wanting to pursue a career as a city diplomat?
City Diplomat positions are limited. When Mayor Cantrell’s administration ends, the next administration might not be interested in having this office. The advice I would offer those wanting to pursue a career as a city diplomat would be to prepare to be a “diplomat,” not just a city diplomat. Always be yourself and relate to other people. Accept people and their culture as they are. Learn from other people and their culture, and do not judge those who do not speak the same language as us because they already know their own language and probably speak many others. Overall, always treat people the same way you want to be treated, with respect and dignity.
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Fostering sustainable construction in informal urban areas
How can living conditions in informal settlements be improved while tackling climate change and urbanization challenges?
Explore inspiring solutions to this urgent challenge by joining our March 21 peer learning webinar on Fostering sustainable construction in informal urban areas.
This is the first episode of the Urban Innovation to Achieve Just & Sustainable Cities series co-organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Cities Alliance, UN-Habitat, ICLEI, Slum Dwellers International, the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance, the African Union for Housing Finance, and the City Diplomacy Lab.
This peer-learning series brings together a diverse group of experts and practitioners to engage in constructive dialogue on the development of sustainable urban planning, construction, and financing strategies for cities across the globe.
Panelists:
- Sheela Patel, Chair of Campaign For ROOH and Director of Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC)
- Alexandre Apsan Frediani, Principal Researcher, Human Settlements Group, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
- Arne Georg Janssen, Urban Environment Lead, Cities Alliance
Moderation by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab Founding Director.
🗓 Thursday, March 21, 2024, 9:00 a.m. EDT | 2:00 p.m. CET.
🗣 Language: English, with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and French.
Watch the recording
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Decolonizing relations between European and African cities
Interview with Niccolò Milanese, co-curator of the Rhizome Cities project, which empowers European cities’ management of persisting colonial legacies, migration, and diversity.
Q: Your network engages African and European cities in a discussion about the synergies between intercultural and decolonization approaches. How did this concept come about, and how were you able to make it a reality?
A: Over recent years, city administrations have been challenged by decolonial demands and actions coming from their citizens. Whether this has taken the form of questioning street names or taking down statutes, controversies over the way history is taught in schools, or artworks presented in museums, or even questioning partnerships with other cities in moments of geopolitical tension, city municipalities both in Europe and in Africa have had to deal with strong demands in ways they may be unprepared for.
And whilst the movement of people always has a geopolitical element to it, in recent years, geopolitics has become more conflictual, and these conflicts have an impact on the ways different groups interrelate. Of course, every city has a different experience, every municipal administration a different set of priorities, and so a crucial part of building the network was to be as responsive as possible to welcoming the different ways that each city wants to approach the topics whilst constantly finding the commonalities and underlying issues. This is why the network is called Rhizome Cities: it is both a rhizomatic network and one with a rhizomatic method. We see migration as a normal aspect of city life and develop an approach to migration and movement that is networked across cities, and that is as much about the journeys in between them as any one place.
Q: Rhizome Cities emphasizes inclusive, participatory processes for co-creating urban solutions. What are the added values of involving migrants in such processes?
A: People who move and people with diverse backgrounds are part of our urban settings. Urbanisation is by definition a process of people moving. So it is crucial not to exclude people with a background of movement when designing urban solutions: in fact, by ignoring them, it is the municipal administration that is cutting itself off from the reality of the city – the people living there make the city, whether the municipality wants to pay attention to them or not. So the question is how to bring about the co-creation of the city in a way that turns diversity and the multiplicity of histories and geographical connections into a source of dynamism that ensures that a city is shaping politically and culturally a process of constant reinvention and is not passively being shaped by external forces or private interests.
Rhizome Cities – Workshop in Braga, Portugal, 2023 Q: Your cities engage in peer learning and knowledge exchange. Can you give us some examples of best practices that have been transferred within the network?
A: Athens trained migrants to be tour guides of the city, giving a different intercultural perspective on one of the most symbolic cities in the world; anti-rumor and antidiscrimination campaigns of the municipality of Braga were very important during the Covid-19 pandemic to reduce intercultural tensions; Montpellier showed excellent practices of providing literacy and numeracy to recently arrived migrants; Marseille examples from their museums of how objects have migrant journeys like people; and Bergamo examples of school education in interculturality by students becoming aware of their own frame of reference and how that might different to other people. In each of these examples, what was striking was that the municipality often had to work across different departments and government services and include migrant populations themselves in the design and delivery of the practice.
Rhizome Cities at the 2023 Euro-Africa Water Days in Montpellier Q: At the 2023 Montpellier Water Days, you presented the Rizoma Cities Mayors Declaration. What is the expected impact of that text on the future of the network?
A: We see the Declaration as the closing of the first pilot phase of the Rhizome Cities network and the first moment of the consolidation and expansion of it. We already have the interest of many more cities to participate in the next round of meetings that will develop communities of practice around specific interests, foresee targeted forms of engagement for city actors who are not elected or administrative officials, and will elaborate in more detail our unique approach which integrates culture, education, social services, urban planning, economic development and international relations of a city in its approach to diversity.
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Cities and Climate Solutions: Exploring Impactful Climate Solutions from Cities Worldwide
Get inspired by our peer-learning webinar series featuring the inspiring voices of those who design and manage some of the world’s most impactful urban climate policies.
Inequities of all kinds often find their most pronounced and visible expression in cities. In response, a growing number of municipal administrations are combining local participatory action with national and international knowledge exchange, thus becoming laboratories for impactful and sustainable social solutions.
Between March and November 2023, the City Diplomacy Lab and Columbia Global Paris Center brought together the representatives of cities that have implemented some of the most impactful and sustainable climate actions.
The four webinars of the Cities and Social Solutions series covered the local challenges and solutions regarding social justice, gender, inclusion, and age. Each webinar saw the participation of representatives of three champion cities from different continents.
This series celebrates the leadership of cities and provides inspiration for the thousands of cities and local governments around the world committed to shaping an equitable future for all urban residents.
Cities and Social Solutions | Water (March 22, 2023)
How are cities dealing with (or preparing to deal with) increasingly severe water crises such as drought, floods, and water pollution?
Partner: Columbia Global Amman Center
Cities represented: Los Angeles (United States) and Amman (Jordan).
Panelists:
- Nisreen Daoud, Manager of Sustainable Development and Amman Resilience Unit, Greater Amman Municipality
- Ben Wong, Civil Engineering Associate, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
Opening remarks: Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Moderator: Beth Tellman, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona School of Geography, Development, and Environment
Cities and Climate Solutions | Food (March 14, 2024)
How are cities designing and managing urban policies for food security, safety, and sustainability?
Partner: Columbia Global Rio Center
Cities represented: New York City (United States), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Milan (Italy)
Panelists:
- Milagros de Hoz, Senior Policy Advisor at the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, City of New York
- Thalyta Ferraz, Local Diplomacy Advisor, City of Rio de Janeiro
- Elisa Porreca, Food Policy Officer, City of Milan
Moderation by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab Founding Director.
Cities and Climate Solutions | Air (November 22, 2023)
Topics: air pollution, local public health, carbon neutrality, climate budgets, and equity and inclusion.
Partners: the Columbia Climate School, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
Cities represented: Lagos (Nigeria), Leeds (United Kingdom), Mumbai (India), and Stockholm (Sweden).
Panelists:
- Olabisi Shonibare, Director, Noise and Emissions Control Department, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA)
- Andrew Hickford – Senior Project Manager in Sustainable Energy and Air Quality, Leeds City Council
- Revati Shidhaye – Assistant Engineer, Environment Dept, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation
- Magnuz Engardt – Environmental Analyst, Environment and Health Administration, City of Stockholm
Opening remarks by Lucy Slack, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum
Moderator: Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab.
Cities and Social Solutions | Energy (December 6, 2023)
Topics: energy poverty, urban renewable energy, building energy regulations, energy retrofit, and just transition.
Partners: Columbia Global Nairobi Center, Columbia Global Santiago Center, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
Cities represented: Braga (Portugal) and Santiago (Chile)
Panelists:
- Hélder Costa, Member of the Office to Support the Presidency, Municipality of Braga
- Mauricio Fabry, Head of the Department of Environment, Biodiversity and Climate Action, Metropolitan Regional Government of Santiago
Moderation by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Opening remarks by Séverine C. Martin, Public Programs Manager, Columbia Global Center Paris.
Cities and Social Solutions | Waste (December 20, 2023)
How can cities turn waste from a costly burden to a resource for the community, the environment, and the economy? The second season of the Cities and Climate Solutions webinar series concluded with an outstanding panel on the potential of sustainable waste management in making cities sustainable, just, and resilient.
Partner: Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
Cities represented: Maharashtra (India) and Montpellier(France).
Panelists:
- Sameer Unhale, State Joint Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Government of Maharashtra
- Clare Hart, Vice-President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole
Moderation by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Opening remarks by Lucy Slack, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum
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Cities and Climate Solutions | Waste
Webinar | December 20, 2023 | 6:30 a.m. New York | 12:30 p.m. Paris – Montpellier | 1:30 p.m. Quelimane | 5:00 p.m. Maharashtra
Waste management represents a major challenge to the sustainable development and health of urban communities worldwide. Long considered simply something to dispose of, waste is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of ambitious urban sustainability strategies. According to the principles of circularity, waste management makes it possible to reduce air, water, and soil pollution, foster equity and economic growth, strengthen urban-rural bonds, and improve public health.
Through the accounts of Quelimane in Mozambique, Montpellier in France, and the State of Maharashtra in India, the Cities and Climate Solutions | Waste webinar will explore and discuss the challenges and opportunities of urban waste management, drawing valuable insights for cities around the world.
The Cities and Climate Solutions webinar series is co-organized by the City Diplomacy Lab and Columbia Global Centers | Paris. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
Speakers
Quelimane
Dr. Manuel A. Alculete Lopes de Araújo has been the Mayor of Quelimane since 2011. Dr. de Araújo’s extensive experience spans civil society, academics, business, and politics. He is deeply involved in advocating for issues linked to urban and climate change. He plays a key role within institutions such as UCLG as well as ICLEI, where he is a member of the Global Executive Committee and Global Co-Chair for Resilience. In 2019, Araújo was elected Deputy Chair of the National Council of the Mozambican Mayors Association (ANAMM) Congress. Araújo holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia and an MSc from SOAS, University of London.
Maharashtra
Mr. Sameer Unhale is the State Joint Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Government of Maharashtra. Currently, he is working on digital transformation and data initiatives, affordable housing, and issues relating to the larger urban areas. He has worked in the executive/leadership position of Municipal Commissioner of Municipal Corporation in the cities of Ulhasnagar, Dhule, and Nanded. Mr. Unhale wrote several books, including How will India solve its urban problems: stories of innovation, sustainability, inclusion and smartness (co-authored with Dr. Biniti Singh, October 2020), and City Reflection : Practitioner’s Experience in Urban Governance amidst Uncertain Times (October 2022).
Montpellier
Ms. Clare Hart, Vice-President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. A social change maker and expert in Corporate Social Responsibility, London-born Clare Hart is passionate about gender equality and social inclusion through grassroots mobilization and a fervent charity activist. She is Vice-president of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole for European and International Relations and a City councilor for Montpellier alongside Mayor Michaël Delafosse.
The discussion will be moderated by City Diplomacy Lab Director Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi.
Watch the recording
Overview of the Cities and Climate Solutions series
In the face of the climate crisis, cities across the world are emerging as integral problem-solvers in the development of an effective, multi-layered response. This series, launched in Spring 2023 with events on food and water, aims to bring together the representatives of cities that have implemented some of the most impactful and sustainable actions.
This second season of the webinar series kicked off in November 2023 and covers the topics of air, energy, and waste. Each webinar will see the participation of representatives from three cities and will be moderated by a representative from Columbia University. In order to encourage geographic representativeness, each webinar will host city representatives from different regions and countries.
This series celebrates the leadership of cities and provides inspiration for the thousands of cities and local governments around the world committed to shaping the global response to climate change.
Earlier Cities and Climate Solutions webinars:
Food (Spring 2023) – https://youtu.be/3OzxcUFOYA8
Air (Fall 2023) – https://youtu.be/H_n-ddT6gJw?si=v2O74Iph3sk894-S
Energy (Fall 2023) – https://youtu.be/TD7odDcFRgA?si=6nhC5BnfN083_fQb
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Cities and Climate Solutions | Energy
Webinar | 9:00 a.m. New York | 11:00 a.m. Santiago | 2:00 p.m. Braga | 3:00 p.m. Paris | 5:00 p.m. Nairobi
The Cities and Climate Solutions webinar series is co-organized by the City Diplomacy Lab and Columbia Global Centers | Paris.
This webinar is co-sponsored by Columbia Global Centers | Nairobi, Columbia Global Centers | Santiago, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
This webinar brings together representatives from Santiago, Braga, and Nairobi to discuss the topics of energy poverty, urban renewable energy, building energy regulations, energy retrofit, and just transition. The discussion will be moderated by City Diplomacy Lab Director Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi.
Overview
In the face of the climate crisis, cities across the world are emerging as integral problem-solvers in the development of an effective, multi-layered response. The Cities and Climate Solutions series, launched in Spring 2023 with events on water and food, aims to bring together the representatives of cities that have implemented some of the most impactful and sustainable actions.
This second season of the webinar series kicked off in November 2023 and covers the topics of air, energy, and waste. Each webinar will see the participation of representatives of three municipalities and will be moderated by a representative from Columbia University. In order to encourage geographic representativeness, each webinar will host city representatives from different regions and countries.
This series celebrates the leadership of cities and provides inspiration for the thousands of cities and local governments around the world committed to shaping the global response to climate change.
Speakers
Braga
Hélder Costa’s mission is to support organizations, both public and private, in incorporating sustainability principles and values, ensuring that they conduct their activities responsibly, become more competitive, and promote innovation and sustainable development. To achieve this, he draws upon the knowledge acquired throughout his career, serving as a researcher in the development of sustainability assessment methodologies for university campuses and as an advisor to the Vice Presidency for Infrastructure and Sustainability at the University of Minho. The university was recognized in 2017 among the top 50 in the world in this field. Currently, he is a member of the Office to Support the Presidency at the Municipality of Braga, supporting the city’s sustainable development strategy. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Hydraulics and Environment. Recently, he completed a postgraduate program in Management Control and Strategic Execution at Porto Business School, an institution where he has been a speaker at events related to Sustainable Development. He was identified in the list of ‘100 Oportunidades,’ a project by Global Shapers Lisbon of the WEF.
Nairobi
Ibrahim Otieno is the county Chief Officer in charge of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources. Previously, he was the Deputy Director of Environment in charge of waste management. He holds an MA in Environmental Planning and Management (UoN), BA (Geography & Environmental Studies, UoN), Post Grad Dip-Green & Circular Economy (DTU, Denmark) and Water Sector Governance & Operations (CHU, Denmark).
Santiago
Mauricio Fabry is a veterinary doctor from the University of Concepción with studies at the University of California and Adolfo Ibáñez University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Doctorate program in Biodiversity Management and Conservation at the Universidad Santo Tomás de Chile. Mauricio worked for 18 years at the Santiago Metropolitan Park, of which he was its director for 7 years. He led the Ecoparque project at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning. He is currently Head of the Department of Environment, Biodiversity and Climate Action in the Metropolitan Regional Government of Santiago.
Moderator
Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi is the founding director of the City Diplomacy Lab. He is a lecturer in City Diplomacy at Columbia Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE | Paris), Sciences Po – PSIA, and École Polytechnique. He regularly advises international organizations, national governments, city networks, and municipalities on how to fully unfold the added value of city diplomacy. Author of City Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020), he holds a dual PhD in Political Theory from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS, Paris) and Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS, Rome).
Watch the recording
The views and opinions expressed by speakers and guests do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of City Diplomacy Lab and Columbia Global Centers | Paris.
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Interview with Luz Amparo Medina Gerena, Bogotá’s Head City Diplomat
What does it mean to lead the international relations of a global city? What are its main challenges, lessons learned, and rewards? Our new series on chief city diplomats opens with an interview with Luz Amparo Medina Gerena, Director of the Office of International Relations in Bogota and Member of the City Diplomacy Lab Advisory Board.
What path led you to become a city diplomat?
This experience in Bogotá was my first experience in city diplomacy. I had previously worked at the national level in various diverse sectors such as culture, education, science, technology, and disaster risk management within the field of international relations. I also worked for intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations Development Program and the General Secretary of the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI) in Madrid. So, while I had a strong background in international relations, the opportunity to engage in city diplomacy arose with the election of Claudia López as Mayor of Bogotá. She invited me to be part of her team, and it has been one of the greatest experiences and honors of my professional career. I must acknowledge, though, that I did not have significant prior experience in the field of City Diplomacy until this opportunity came along.
What was the most complex challenge you faced as the director of Bogotá’s International Relations Office, and how did you deal with it?
My job entails a constant problem-solving attitude. The success of city diplomacy in materializing international partnerships comes with a never-ending series of challenges of different natures and scales. However, perhaps the most challenging task I faced in this position was during the first year of our term in office in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic hit only two months after the start of Mayor López’ mandate. In that context, the office of international relations had to provide information to the Mayor and her cabinet to inform two parallel processes. On the one hand, the response to a global pandemic in a city like Bogotá, home of 8 million people and that holds relevant competencies in the sanitary system, required close consultations with cities around the world to confront a challenge that humanity had never experienced before. At the same time, we also engaged in international benchmarking for the design of the Development Plan of Bogotá, which was approved in June 2020 by the city council. So, the first semester of 2020 was a very challenging time for all of humanity, for this office, and for me as the director. Meeting the demands at these two complex and intense levels was perhaps the greatest challenge. It required mobilizing resources and knowledge, as well as engaging in crosscutting interactions with the entire administration. However, the role of global relations at the local government level truly made a difference in terms of saving lives through the measures implemented and became an opportunity to gain legitimacy within the administration.
What is the most treasured moment in your city diplomacy career?
I am fortunate enough to have led a team that accomplished numerous milestones through rigorous international action over the past four years. A significant achievement in city diplomacy was the compromise we reached with Guangzhou’s authorities to have a shared term for Metropolis’ Presidency in 2021. The two cities agreed on splitting the three-year term into two periods of 18 months for each city, something the network had never done before. This involved not only engaging with all Western countries’ cities supporting Bogotá but, particularly, speaking with cities in Asia and Africa that supported Guangzhou’s candidacy. The campaign triggered truly enriching conversations conducted virtually amid the pandemic. Securing that Presidency, even if shared, was very exciting, especially because it was achieved after negotiations with a city that had been working towards it for more than six years. Metropolis is an interesting political and technical platform to foster interactions between metropolitan spaces around the world. Bogotá’s innovative approach to the creation of its own metropolitan region was positively impacted by its role in the network but also influenced the discussion on the challenges and opportunities of collaboration between different levels of government.
Another highly exciting moment for me as a city diplomat was Mayor López’ intervention at the United Nations in April 2022, in the framework of the convening to assess the progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). She was designated as one of the four voices of local governments from around the world to report on the challenges, opportunities, and difficulties in implementing the New Urban Agenda. I will never forget the image of her addressing the United Nations General Assembly, calling for the recognition of local governments as the key implementers not only of the NUA but also of the main global development agendas such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Her approach, which is based on caring for the people, democracy, and the planet, I believe, truly resonated with the audience. This opportunity consolidated her role as a strong voice from the cities of the Global South and paved the path to her designation as UN-Habitat Ambassador for the New Urban Agenda in the framework of the World Urban Forum held in Katowice in the summer of 2022.
In your opinion, how will the work of city diplomats evolve in the coming years?
I believe we need to understand the context we are immersed in today. There is a profound questioning of the effectiveness of the multilateral state-based system that emerged after World War II. There is a growing comprehension that there are other actors implementing global development agendas beyond nation-states. These actors include not only local governments but also representatives from the private sector and civil society. In these diverse entities, we find the ones that make things happen.
In that sense, I believe that the role of city diplomacy or, more precisely, the global action of subnational governments, will have a significant opportunity to have a much stronger presence and voice in the multi-level and multi-actor global conversation in the coming years. Perhaps, city diplomacy will even become a formal dimension of a renewed multilateral system. I think the goal of this process is to influence and contribute to transformative actions to address the global climate and social crises by creating opportunities, especially for young people and women, and ultimately contributing to greater well-being in societies. I believe that the global action of local governments will play a leading role in many of these transformations in a world shifting from highly vertical power structures to more horizontal ones. In this horizontal landscape, local governments are likely to become more important and relevant for global development.
Therefore, city diplomats will play a substantial role in facilitating the integration of global perspectives into local processes and, at the same time, impacting local policies from global trends. In times of wars led by national states, city diplomats should be open to keeping the conversation at the local level and preserving channels of dialogue in an increasingly multi-polar and diverse world.
What advice would you offer those wanting to pursue a career as a city diplomat?
As I mentioned before, in a rapidly changing world, cities are key implementers of the global agendas. Professionals entering city diplomacy will need to balance soft skills with technical knowledge. They must acquire and maintain a constant willingness to learn sectoral matters essential for the implementation of global agendas with the instruments local governments can provide. A minimum capacity to understand the specifics of the different sectors is necessary, and this requires an open mind to get acquainted with new knowledge and perspectives.
Unlearning is also crucial; we must learn to adapt because the world is changing rapidly, and technologies are advancing. What is valid today may not be tomorrow, and this speed of change will progressively increase.
I also believe that new professionals will need to develop a certain level of resilience to frustration and detachment from results. As city diplomats, we serve as facilitators between global stakeholders and local government officials. Often, outcomes and impacts do not depend directly on our performance but on sectoral servants responsible for program design and implementation.
Furthermore, developing an interdisciplinary approach to our work is essential. If this is not provided by academic training, professionals must have an open disposition to cross knowledge, disciplines, and information in real time. Collaboration is the backbone of city diplomacy. If there is no collaboration or potential for collaboration, city diplomacy loses its meaning. Therefore, city diplomats need an attitude that facilitates and smooths the work within the local government, with different levels of government, and other cities and international stakeholders. Through this collaboration, collective action can be leveraged to positively impact the significant challenges humanity faces today.
Mayor Claudia López and Luz Amparo Medina Gerena with Bogotá’s International Relations team
Watch the interview with Mayor Claudia López
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Migration and city diplomacy: empowering cities on the Central Mediterranean Route
From December 13 to 19, the City Diplomacy Lab, in partnership with the Mixed Migration Centre and Columbia Global Centers in Paris, Tunis, and Nairobi, will empower cities on the Central Mediterranean Route through this highly interactive virtual training on mixed migration and city diplomacy. Participating municipal officers will be supported in developing their own action plans for mixed migration and for working along the Central Mediterranean Route.
- Participants: this free training is open to municipal officers from cities in countries along the Central Mediterranean Route*. Participants who attend at least 80 percent of the course will receive a certificate of completion.
- Dates: 13, 14, 15, 18, and 19 December 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CET.
- Format: highly interactive virtual training featuring classes, group work, and guest lectures.
- Language: the training will be conducted in English.
- Deadline: applications must be submitted through the form below by Monday, December 11.
Course description
Mixed migration refers to cross-border movements of people, including refugees fleeing persecution and conflict, victims of trafficking, and people seeking better lives and opportunities. Motivated to move by multiple factors, people engaged in mixed migration have different legal statuses as well as a variety of vulnerabilities. In an increasingly urbanized world, cities are at the forefront of mixed migration. This applies whether refugees and migrants transit cities or settle in them for longer periods of time. Despite cities not having clear mandates on migration issues and raising funds for migration programming, local authorities, national governments, international organizations, and international policy processes are increasingly recognizing the importance of working at the city level to advance protection and solutions for refugees and migrants. This course shall explore: What does it mean for cities to work on issues of mixed migration and to work along migration routes? What are the various types of activities that cities can undertake? What tools, partnerships, and other resources are available? At the end of this one-week intensive course, city actors will be supported in developing their own draft action plans for mixed migration and for working along the Central Mediterranean Route.
The training is co-organized by City Diplomacy Lab and Mixed Migration Centre.
It is jointly hosted by Columbia Global Centers | Paris, Columbia Global Centers | Tunis, and Columbia Global Centers | Nairobi.
Institutional donor: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Registration is now closed
* The training is open to municipal officers in the following countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, The Gambia, and Tunisia.
