Housing and Construction
A Spark of Hope: Making Nairobi’s Slums Fire Resilient
High density and poor building materials make informal settlements extremely prone to fire hazards. The Nairobi-based enterprise Kwangu Kwako has developed a housing model that, while being truly affordable, increases fire resilience and thus positively affects many aspects of residents' lives.
My City in Crisis: The Struggle to Reconstruct
As densely populated urban areas like Homs, Raqqa, and Idlib in Syria continue to be the site of years-long armed conflicts, architect Ammar Azzouz argues that cities must not wait for post-conflict reconstruction plans. Rather, amidst destruction, ideas for the cities of tomorrow should be developed.
Lessons Learnt – Localising the SDGs in Egypt’s Urban Development
For decades, Egypt has been suffering from uncontrolled urbanisation and low quality of urban life. Solving these issues requires collaboration between relevant stakeholders at global, national, and local level. Dr. Hassan Elmouelhi highlights some of the attempts to link these different stakeholders in the field of urban development.
Egyptian Eco-Communities: Reintegrating the Homeless
Homelessness is an issue that countries are struggling to address. Professor Ayman Mosallam’s proposal for building Eco-Communities represents an innovative solution that equips homeless people with new skills and purpose. At the same time, the Eco-Communities also promote sustainable living.
The Role of Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations in Kenya’s Housing Finance Sector
Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations play a key role for housing security in Kenya. Davina Wood explains how they work and discusses benefits and current challenges.
The Future is Community-led: How People Are Improving Their Neighbourhoods Across Africa
All across Africa, the most rapidly urbanising continent, locals are taking action to improve their neighbourhoods and get access to adequate housing and services. Leading up the UN Habitat Assembly, URBANET presents examples from Senegal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.