Future Cities Africa and the Municipal Edge present the 4th Annual "Local Government Conversations" Webinar Series 2025.
Context and background
Green, Resilient and Thriving: Blueprinting for a Southern African City or Municipality of the Future is our last Webinar for 2025 as we complete the Series of our 4th Annual instalment of the Local Government Conversations. The webinar series is hosted by Future Cities Africa in partnership with The Municipal Edge.
The webinar is scheduled to take place on 19 November 2025 from 10:00 and will focus on insights, case-studies and actionable frameworks for creating a blueprint for a green, resilient and thriving city or municipality. This will also stimulate peer exchange and a practical roadmap for municipalities to adopt. Southern African cities, so as other cities around the world, face a convergence of pressures that include rapid urbanisation that constrains infrastructure, climate change (floods, heatwaves), ageing infrastructure, ecological degradation, inequality, and constrained municipal budgets.
At the same time, the opportunity exists to reset and design urban systems that are green (low-carbon, nature-positive), resilient (able to absorb shocks and adapt) and thriving (economically inclusive, socially cohesive, environmentally sustainable). Previous webinars have covered wide-ranging topics, from infrastructure grant management, smart cities, digital transformation, governance and leadership, professionalisation, financial reforms, to localised economic development, among few. Building on that foundation, this upcoming webinar focuses specifically on strategic and urban blueprint that fosters integrated thinking and planning that positions a Southern African city or municipality to deliver environmental, social and service-delivery excellence.
The webinar offers municipal leaders, planners, practitioners, private-sector partners, infrastructure financiers, and civil-society actors a forum to explore how to blueprint a city or municipality of the future (not just 'smart' in technology but holistically sustainable and resilient). Municipalities must transition from reactive disaster management toward institutionalised climate-resilience planning, integrating environmental sustainability into its Integrated Development Plan, budget frameworks, and spatial development priorities.
Objectives
Attendees will be exposed to:
- Institutionalising environmental management and climate change within planning and allocating resources.
- Advancing sustainable urban planning to protect livelihoods, promote resilience, and attract investment.
- Identification of key principles and levers of city- or municipality-blueprint-making that embed green infrastructure, climate resilience and inclusive growth.
- Exploring how municipalities can develop a roadmap (with milestones, KPIs, stakeholder engagement) to transition towards a green-resilient-thriving city or municipality model.
- Cross-municipality collaboration and peer learning on blueprint frameworks, thereby creating a network of practice.
Expected Outcomes
- Deeper understanding of practical approaches to environmental management and climate adaptation within a municipal context.
- Municipalities will be equipped to align their IDPs, Spatial Development Frameworks, and budgets with environmental sustainability and resilience objectives.
- Enhanced ability to integrate climate-risk assessment and mitigation into day-to-day planning, infrastructure design, and service delivery.
- Broader municipal awareness of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and how these align with South Africa's municipal legislative environment.
Abstract based directly on original source.
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