The German Association of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) has started a project, called "Connective Cities", in cooperation with GIZ, the national development cooperation of Germany, and Engagement Global, the national service provider for development initiatives. The idea of the project is the establishment of a global platform for practitioners with knowhow on the local level. The platform is going to be a "community of practice", meaning that applied expertise is being promoted and shared.
The objective of the cities platform is to facilitate worldwide networking between urban actors from politics, administration, industry, science and civil society and to support a systematic and application-oriented exchange of experience and development of innovative ideas for urban projects.
By means of dialogue and learning formats the cities platform will mobilise German and international know how in the field of sustainable urban development. The unique characteristic is the network-orientated and demand-driven marketplace were specialists from all over the world come together to discuss practical problems. Connective Cities' intention is to create a platform that creates its own dynamics and hence develops concrete projects initiated on the platform.
The project is scheduled to be launched at the end of June, 2014.
Read here more about the project.