“Change of perspective is key!”: The South African-German Peer-to-Peer Learning Network on safe public spaces for all is part of the project Dialogues for Urban Change (D4UC), which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB). It brings together representatives of South African cities (Stellenbosch, KwaDukuza, uMhlathuze, Nelson Mandela Bay), German cities (Karlsruhe, Ludwigsburg, Bottrop, Nürnberg), as well as colleagues from city associations and ministries of both countries - supporting multi-level governance and policy coherence for integrated urban development. Another strong partner is the BMZ-funded Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention Programme, a GIZ project based in South Africa.

One tangible project at a neighbourhood level per city, the so-called living lab, builds the foundation for the transnational learning experience. They contribute to liveable, safe neighbourhoods and quality public spaces with special regard to equitable access and use, as well as social cohesion and citizen safety, bearing in mind vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the LGBTQIA+ community. The implementation of these living labs is supported by the peers within the network.

End of February, the third network meeting took place in the network municipality of Stellenbosch, South Africa. After a successful launch in Nelson Mandela Bay, a fruitful second workshop in Karlsruhe in 2022 paired with a contribution to the annual National Urban Development Policy Congress in Berlin, and interesting webinars in between, participants were excited to again dive deep into strengthening approaches and instruments for integrated urban development for the common good.

Trust and respect within the network group are crucial. It enables the participants to not only present their achievements but rather focus on sharing challenging issues and specific questions with their peers, who appreciate the honesty since “one can learn as much from failure as from success stories”, as stated by a network member. Colleagues were able to prepare a range of proposals for the preparation, participatory process, implementation, and monitoring of the Stellenbosch living lab taking into account local challenges and framework conditions. All in all, the network shows, that “‘swarm intelligence’ really works!”