11 – Sustainable cities and communities
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New Kenya–Sweden Partnerships Approved by ICLD
Two new applications for democratic partnerships have recently been approved through ICLD. The municipalities of Norrköping and Arvika will now have the opportunity, together with their Kenyan partner municipalities, to build on their experiences from previous ICLD projects. Norrköping is collaborating with the municipalities of Embu and Homa Bay County, while Arvika is working with…
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Partnership for Sustainable Reconstruction and Democratic Urban Planning
The ICLD partnership between Jönköping and the Ukrainian city of Berdychiv addresses a complex challenge: how can sustainable, inclusive and democratic urban planning be developed in a context of ongoing war and reconstruction? The starting point for the cooperation is Berdychiv’s rapid population growth as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the…
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Norrköping – Embu County & Homa Bay County, Kenya
Project: Women empowerment and technical services, Norrköping-G7 The Municipality of Norrköping has collaborated with Uasin Gishu County in Kenya for several years through the municipal partnership NORELD. Building on this established cooperation, a new inception project has been initiated with the aim of preparing for continued and deepened collaboration. During 2024, joint activities were carried…
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Arvika – Nakuru & Kwale County, Kenya
Project: Empowerment within technical services, Arvika – G7 Arvika Municipality established a municipal partnership with Uasin Gishu County in Kenya in 2019. During the final phase of this collaboration, opportunities were identified to disseminate the project results to additional counties in Kenya. With the support of the project consultant, Business in Progress, contact was established…
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Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of Klapmuts & Kayamandi Townships: Stellenbosch Municipality, South Africa
This report responds to the growing need for voluntary local reviews (VLRs) of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) progress at the municipal level. It presents the findings of a community-based assessment conducted in the informal townships of Klapmuts and Kayamandi, both located within the Stellenbosch Municipality of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. In line with…
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Advancing Democracy and Resilience through Industrial and Urban Symbiosis
This learning case offers insights into how local governments can advance climate justice by embedding accountability, transparency, equity, and civic participation. It invites local governments who seek to actively promote circular economy to learn about a holistic approach to public-private partnerships and the “industry cluster” method. It illustrates how strengthening local democracy is, and should…
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Bergs Kommun – Krolevets, Ukraine
Inception The partnership between Berg Municipality and Krolevets began through ICLD’s matchmaking process at the Visby event Almedalsveckan in June 2025. Since then, two bilateral meetings with senior political leaders and ICLD representatives have laid the groundwork for collaboration. The partnership is now in the process of developing their project idea in the ICLD-funded inception-phase.…
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New partnership approved: Karlskoga, Sweden and Shepetivka, Ukraine
Karlskoga Municipality in Sweden has been granted a one-year inception phase together with the Ukrainian municipality of Shepetivka. “We are very pleased to have been granted a partnership through ICLD,” says Tony Ring, Chairman of the Municipal Board in Karlskoga. “Thanks to ICLD’s support, we gain tools to develop our municipality while also helping to…
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Karlskoga – Shepetivka, Ukraine
Equitable Waste Management With their inception for a project about equitable waste management, Karlskoga and Shepetivka are entering an ICLD-partnership for the first time, however, they have been entering a twinning agreement already in 2023 independently of the ICLD. The long-term goal for the partnership is to increase awareness about waste management and recycling for…
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![Child-Focused Cities [CFC]: A Paradigm for Inclusive Urban Development](https://cdn.icld.se/wp-content/uploads/20250922103544/RR-32-P1.jpg)
Child-Focused Cities [CFC]: A Paradigm for Inclusive Urban Development
The Child-Focused Cities (CFC) initiative brings together children and youth inclusion in local democracy in line with the principles embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It reflects on why, when, how, where, and under what circumstances children and young people are recognised as political subjects and crucial role-players in…