Urban Action Lab @UrbanActionLab

The UAL is grateful for a rich training engagement on co-design and systematic participatory action research (SPAR) approaches with a vising scholar Dr. @MSchmidtSane from @IDS_UK and Case Western University. The training sharpened our thinking on systems mapping, participatory action research, and climate–health adaptation pathways in informal settlements and reminded us that progress in development requires more than good intentions or good evidence. A standout issue was the practical meaning of Systemic Participatory Action Research (SPAR): bring a systems lens into participatory work so that multiple voices, scales, and lived realities actively shape the response, not just the outputs. From drainage and waste management to communication systems and local governance, the training made the interconnections impossible to ignore. Climate and health challenges in informal settlements are deeply linked through the way risks are produced, experienced, and managed. Systems mapping helps us see those links more clearly, turning “many issues” into a connected picture of causes, constraints, and opportunities. One powerful message we’re carrying forward: research should not end with a report on a shelf. Participatory approaches challenge us to return to communities, listen better, and create knowledge that supports action. In other words, evidence has to travel from analysis into dialogue, and from dialogue into real decisions and improvements on the ground. We also reflected on the realities of co-design: power dynamics, different mandates, literacy gaps, the role of local knowledge, and the time pressures that vulnerable communities face. The takeaway was clear; good methods must meet people where they are, and co-design needs to be designed with constraints in mind, not treated as an idealized process. We’re particularly excited by the idea of adaptation pathways that extend beyond one-off interventions. Instead of asking only “what do we do next?”, the training pushed us to think in longer horizons: what needs to happen in year 1, year 5, and year 10 to strengthen resilience in informal settlements? That long-view planning is essential if adaptation is to be sustainable. One insight we’re keeping front and center: local voices should not be an afterthought in research. They are central to understanding climate risk, health vulnerability, and what realistic action looks like in everyday life. It was encouraging to see students, researchers, and practitioners in one room learning together and discussing how evidence from phase one can guide the co-design phase. Capacity strengthening works best when it’s practical, open, and collaborative. We also appreciated the space to discuss how systems maps can evolve from draft analytical tools into practical co-design instruments useful for community dialogue, city-level discussions, and national coordination. That bridge between analysis and action matters. Our biggest takeaway from today: co-design is not about arriving with ready-made solutions. It’s about building a shared understanding of problems, priorities, and pathways for action—with communities, researchers, and decision-makers shaping the direction together. Finally, the engagement reinforced an important point: climate–health work is not only about infrastructure. It’s also about knowledge, awareness, communication, coordination, and shared priorities across communities and institutions. #ClimateHealth #CoDesign #PAR #SystemsThinking #PARticipatoryResearch #SPAR #ResearchMethods #UrbanHealth #ClimateAdaptation #UrbanResilience #CommunityEngagement #ActionResearch #InclusiveResearch #Equity #AdaptationPathways #ClimateAction #HealthSystems #ClimateJustice #PARticipatoryMethods #CapacityBuilding #ResearchTraining #SystemsMapping #PolicyDialogue #UrbanAction #ClimateHealth #CollaborativeResearch #LocalKnowledge @MSchmidtSane @IDS_UK @DLwasa @pmukwaya @HakimuSseviiri @KasaijaPeter2 @judithmbabazi @karenhelmy1 @MinofHealthUG @NPA_UG @KCCAUG

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Our in-house researcher @UrbanActionLab , Dr. @KasaijaPeter2 gives a training on rich pictures as a knowledge co-production method in urban research. The key takeaway from the training is that “Rich pictures are not just drawings; they are political and analytical tools for co-produced urban research. They help us see what surveys often miss: from contested land claims, overlapping governance systems, hidden risks, lived experiences, missing voices, and to the messy realities of urban informality”. The session strongly emphasized that communities are not just respondents; they are co-owners of knowledge. What stands out most was the reminder that complexity is not a problem to erase. A rich picture that looks messy may actually be doing its job well. It captures simultaneity, contradiction, central actors, marginal actors, and relationships that formal methods often flatten. But the method also demands care: simple materials, careful prompts, enough time, non-directive facilitation, ethical safeguards, and serious reflection on positionality and power. The biggest lesson for us: every rich picture is a boundary object and every interpretation must be negotiated, not imposed. If we want research that is more legitimate, equitable, and grounded in lived realities, then we must take co-production, reflexivity, and collaborative analysis seriously. #UrbanResearch #CoProduction #RichPictures #UrbanInformality #ParticipatoryMethods #ResearchMethods @pmukwaya @DLwasa @AfricanCities_ @IDS_UK @HakimuSseviiri @karenhelmy1

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The @UrbanActionLab is excited to host @andrew_d_hughes from @IMPACTSheffield as we begin fieldwork for his doctoral research in Kampala on how Congolese refugees navigate flooding, mobility, and livelihoods in informal settlements and commercial corridors. Grateful for the support of local partners including @relonuganda and People for Peace and Defence Rights (PPDR) as we prepare participatory diaries, walking interviews, and community engagement with Congolese refugees across Kampala city. #UrbanAfrica #RefugeeStudies #ClimateChange #Mobility #Kampala @InvisibleMapper @GoodfellowTom @Urban_Inst @NPA_UG @KCCAUG @DLwasa @AfricanCities_ @AfricaUrbanLab @pmukwaya @KasaijaPeter2 @NamuliFisa @judithmbabazi

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The @UrbanActionLab researchers @pmukwaya and @HakimuSseviiri and @AfricaUrbanLab Chief of Staff @hebaelhanafi held a productive conversation spanning land governance, urban learning and the future of city-focused teaching and research. At the centre of the discussion was a strong reminder that urban transformation depends on collaboration across universities, policy makers, practitioners and communities. One major them was land governance in Kampala, highlighting the practical role of Local Councils (LCs) in land transactions, even where legal recognition is limited, and the need for clearer processes, land transaction agreement templates, training of LC leaders and stronger institutional engagement to bridge, link and bond with the diversity of actors, interests and regulatory regimes. The conversation also pointed to a bigger truth: urban planning is never only technical. Land, taxation, governance and service delivery are shaped by politics, institutions and everyday lived realities in the city. An exciting area discussed was curriculum reform especially in Sub-Saharan Africa training and research institutions. A recently validated gaps assessment report, stakeholder consultations and opportunities to strengthen teaching in urban planning, urban governance, urban finance and urban economics across universities. Student mobility, collaborative case-study development, and joint research are already creating impact. From Freetown property taxation to Kampala land and governance questions, shared learning materials are helping connect theory to real urban challenges. We are grateful for the growing UAL-AUL partnership and the energy behind it. Looking forward to deeper collaboration on urban economics, municipal finance, land governance and practice-oriented urban education. #UrbanPlanning #UrbanGovernance #UrbanResearch #AfricaCities @AfricanCities_ @GDNint @GoodfellowTom @DLwasa @hebaelhanafi @HakimuSseviiri @kurtislockhart @KasaijaPeter2 @NamuliFisa @KCCAUG @NPA_UG @molhud

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The @UrbanActionLab hosts the @AfricaUrbanLab at the regional-wide professional diploma program drive. The key takeaways are; Africa’s cities need bold, skilled leaders. The Professional Diploma in Urban Development at AUL, African School of Economics Zanzibar (ASEZ) is built for the next generation of African builders. It encompasses hybrid learning, expert faculty, real-world capstone. The Diploma connects frontier research to policy action across Africa. Why this diploma stands out: 75% of ASE graduates are placed in top-tier institutions including the World Bank, UNDP, IMF, and FAO. A strong pathway for urban professionals ready to lead. Designed for early- and mid-career professionals, mayors, planners, ministry teams, and development practitioners, this diploma combines in-person sessions in Zanzibar with applied capstone experience. § Scholarships are available for the 2026-27 cohort, with no separate application required. Key deadline: August 1st. Join a growing pan-African network shaping the future of cities. Please apply using this link: aul.city/admissions Highlights from past graduates “When we studied urban finance, we looked at real examples from different countries, from Kampala to Cape Town to Nigeria. You realize that urban challenges in Africa are shared, and that we need to come together, share knowledge, and build collective solutions for Africa’s urbanization.” Eunice Muyama – AUL Alumnus and Planner at Mbale City Council, Uganda. “In most of our institutions, learning is more theoretical, but here you get the practical application of what you are studying, how it is applied, and different case studies. It is really a very, very nice experience.” Jude Sebuliba- AUL Alumnus and Lecturer, School of Economics, Makerere University, Uganda. “I appreciated the exposure, the experience, and interacting with first-class, world-class lecturers. It enhanced a lot of skills in me, and I looked at myself and thought: I knew something before, but now I know better what to do.” Isaac Mugumbule- AUL Alumnus and Head Landscaping at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). #Scholarships #UrbanLeadership #UrbanPlanning #AfricaRising #CityBuilders #UrbanPolicy #Leadership #UrbanDevelopment @AfricanCities_ @DLwasa @HakimuSseviiri @pmukwaya @KasaijaPeter2 @hebaelhanafi @kurtislockhart @judithmbabazi @NamuliFisa @karenhelmy1

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Communities of the Nigeria Slum/Informal Settlement Federation in Gaskiya West, Ijora, Amukoko Oja, and Ajegunle Apapa were visited by the Executive Director of the Shantytown Empowerment Foundation (SHEF) and the @hbsNigeria Project Manager.

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Ajegunle Ikorodu of the Nigeria Slum/Informal Settlement Federation commissioned plastic collection points under the action research initiative of the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) Waste-to-Wealth project, implemented by Rethinking Cities.

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16 women Local Council leaders walked into a training room in Wakiso thinking about WhatsApp as a social app. They walked out asking how to use it to mobilise their communities. That is what a safe and joyful internet looks like in practice. Read more👉🏾pollicy.medium.com/women-local-co… @VukaHerAfrica @AnnexKemanzi

Meet Dr. @agyemangfelix, one of the inaugural Africa Urban Lab Fellows. Dr. Felix is a lecturer in Spatial Data Science at the University of Manchester, where he uses machine learning, AI, and spatial analytics to better understand the dynamics of rapidly growing cities across Africa and the Global South. He has extensive research experience across African cities and has contributed to major spatial planning initiatives on the continent. As an AUL Fellow, he will focus on land value modeling, residential location choice across African cities, and AI- and satellite-based approaches to urban expansion and land value capture. We are excited to have Dr. Felix join the AUL Fellow Program and look forward to supporting his research over the coming year.

City researchers, regulators, academy and practitioners clearly stated: planners need more than design skills. They need urban finance, urban economics, and stronger digital capabilities from spatial analytics to AI to respond to the realities of contemporary cities. Deliberate efforts to turn ideas into systems are need: short courses, summer schools, case studies, and stronger links with regulators and practitioners offer meaningful pathways. Curriculum reform works best when it is structured, collaborative, and practical. #UCCC #ProfessionalDevelopment #UrbanEducation #UrbanFinance #DigitalSkills @DLwasa @AfricanCities_ @NPA_UG @pmukwaya @HakimuSseviiri @NamuliFisa @KCCAUG @IJURResearch @AfricaUrbanLab

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@AfricaUrbanLab faciliated discussions were a reminder that not all reform has to wait for formal review cycles. Guest lectures, online sessions, training of trainers, and shared teaching resources can help universities respond to urgent skills gaps now. #UCCC #CapacityBuilding #UrbanPlanning @NPA_UG @IJURResearch @DLwasa @pmukwaya @KasaijaPeter2 @HakimuSseviiri

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@UrbanActionLab participated in the recently concluded University Coalition on Curriculla for Cities (UCCC) at @UniversityArdhi where universities, practitioners, regulators and urban managers met to validate the gaps assessment report on urban training in SSA. Discussions revealed what serious curriculum reform looks like: research, validation, practitioner input, and a focus on priority gaps that universities can act on now. Planning education must connect more directly to African urban realities. #UCCC #UrbanPlanning #HigherEducation @KenyattaUni @MekUniETH @AfricaUrbanLab @IJURResearch

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💡 Learn more below about the Professional Diploma, its structure, key skills, and scholarship opportunities below. 🌍 Ready to apply? Don't miss the deadline: August 1st, 2026. Apply here: aul.city/admissions

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🌃🎓Admissions for the Africa Urban Lab’s Professional Diploma in Urban Development are now open! Join our third cohort in Zanzibar to learn, collaborate, and advance your knowledge on urbanization in Africa. Scholarships are available! The Professional Diploma is designed for early- to mid-career professionals seeking to deepen their expertise around core topics crucial for creating thriving African cities. Through two intensive, in-person learning blocks covering urban planning, urban economics, urban governance, and municipal finance — combined with a real-world Capstone Placement — the Diploma students get exposed to the latest trends on urbanization, working directly with leading urban practitioners and scholars from all over the continent. The AUL's Diploma students come from government, NGOs, multilateral institutions, research, academia, and community-based organizations — all contributing to Africa’s urban transformation.

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