Just Transitions in Practice. Co-Creating Digital Tools for Informality and Crisis

From climate vulnerability in Namibia to post-war recovery in Ukraine, cities under crisis are rethinking how digital tools can support inclusive and resilient housing solutions. This event brings together expert insights, presentations highlighting the outcomes of the Just Transitions project, and a dedicated networking segment. Drawing on lessons from Africa and Europe, it addresses the global housing crisis that affects both developed and developing countries, being especially intensified by climate change and armed conflict. The event presents the outcomes of a three-year BMZ-funded project implemented by UNITAC-Hamburg in Namibia and Ukraine. It showcases digital tools tailored to local contexts, demonstrates scalable digital urban interventions, highlights collaboration modalities tested during implementation, and reflects on the project’s long-term impact and sustainability model. To explore how digital innovation can be embedded in urban planning and decision-making, participants will learn about practical digital tools co-created with local governments, including the Digital Job Card and the Urban Recovery Planning System. The session will also present feasibility studies from Namibia and Ukraine that feature innovative digital solutions aiming to support urban informality management and future post-war recovery. Finally, the event reflects on the collaborative process, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned. The project exemplifies effective cooperation between UNITAC-Hamburg and the UN-Habitat Ukraine Urban Lab, enabling robust data collection and integration of digital platforms into municipal planning frameworks. In Namibia, partnerships spanned all government levels: nationally, strengthening data management and image-processing capacity within the Namibian Statistics Agency to profile informal settlements; locally, developing a Smart City Strategy with the City of Windhoek and piloting the Digital Job Card with Rehoboth and Rundu town councils. Implemented in radically different settings, the project generated insights into managing urban informality, mitigating climate impacts, ensuring equitable access to basic services, responding to displacement, and addressing other globally relevant urban challenges. Cities, academia, multilateral organisations, and development banks are invited to reflect on these lessons, highlighting the adaptability of digital tools and participatory approaches in times of global housing crisis.