The strategic capacity development component forms part of the UK FCDO Global Future Cities Programme and was developed by the UK Built Environment Advisory Group (UKBEAG) in close collaboration with UN-Habitat. The aim of the strategic capacity development component is to complement the other elements of the programme, to consider some of the barriers and enablers to sustainable urbanisation and to help ensure the programme’s long-term impact.
The City-to-City Knowledge Exchange programme comprised a series of four online events between 5 August and 4 November 2021. The aim of the series was to enable cities to share their experiences, to learn from each other, to build relationships with one another and to encourage city ownership of the programme while laying the foundation for the Country-level Events that were to follow. Each event comprised a series of four short presentations from city stakeholders framing the following aspects:
The City-to-City Knowledge Exchange brought to the fore the shared challenges that cities face, and the shared opportunities available. The commonality of experience was striking. Each event featured a series of four presentations with interlocking themes. Cities were invited to contribute based on a combination of factors, including:
Each event was supported by a range of subject matter experts, who brought their knowledge and expertise to bear in the capacity of ‘critical friends’. Their role was to provide constructive observations on the presentations, helping to identify issues that might not have been recognised, suggesting solutions for any challenges identified and exploring synergies between projects
The Subject Matter Experts framed their contributions around the five key thematic areas that were covered in the Thematic Programme, namely: