Initiate: Urban Pathways support to NGOs in partner cities to apply to the IKI Small Grants
Under Initiate, one of the four Urban Pathways pillars, the UP team supported several NGOs and other non-profit organisations working in partner cities and countries in Asia and Latin America in the development of project proposals that were submitted to the Call for Small Scale Projects launched by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU). The UP team guided 5 organisations in the development of project proposals that build on on-going initiatives been carried out in partner cities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This is the list of projects that were supported by Urban Pathways:

  • Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Formulation for Birendranagar Municipality 
Surkhet, Nepal
  • Playing with Mobility in the Santa Tereza neighbourhood
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • Agroecology and Well Being: Waste Management and Urban Agriculture
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • Implementing EcoZone pilot project in La Tola neighborhood
Quito, Ecuador
  • Democratising disaster risk management and ecosystem-based adaptation
Using the EcoZones framework, an evolving concept put together by the UP team based on the initiatives observed in UP partner cities, most of the supported projects focus on neighbourhoods as the geographical scale, where an intersectorial approach is easily applicable, addressing simultaneously mobility and waste issues through a series of activities that could include tactical urbanism, awareness-raising, community participation and impact assessment. Thus, these projects do not only carry out pilot sustainable mobility and/or waste projects; they also empower local communities and promote social cohesion. 
 
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Asia
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Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Formulation for Birendranagar Municipality
Surkhet, Nepal
Applicant organisation: Sano Paila (A Little Step)
 
With the increase in population and the number of vehicles, Birendranagar is starting to face a lot of problems such as (but not limited to) traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, vehicle accidents, etc. The problems can mostly be attributed to the fact that the policy and infrastructure provisions have not been able to keep up with the rise in population, and thus urbanization, and motorization.  Birendranagar is getting swept up in the vicious cycle of motorized vehicle-centric development, resulting in rampant road widening and continued congestion. 
 
This project intends to ensure a non-motorized transportation system in the city. For this, the project will focus on design of cycle infrastructure, public private participation in design (Tactical Urbanism), Campaigining for awareness on sustainable mobility and institutionalizing it in Birendranagar’ Master Plan. The major beneficiaries are the municipality and the people residing in the municipality, especially the social and gender minorities and people with disability).
Latin America
 
Playing with Mobility in the Santa Tereza neighbourhood
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Applicant organisation: Nossa BH
 
Playing with Mobility seeks to promote and articulate actions and actors from schools in the Santa Tereza neighbourhood, located in the eastern region of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil) in order to transform their transportation choices and thus move towards reducing emissions and building sustainable territories. Currently, the neighbourhood has a significant limitations related to non-motorised transport, with an extended use of private vehicles. On the other hand, it has great potential for reversing this scenario, since it is within a walkable distance to public transport options and services and has some use of bicycle. 
 
Using the example of the Confisco Zone 30 implementation (link to the news item), this project seeks to work with two schools in Santa Tereza to promote local actions capable of generating changes in the modal split and in the mindset the neighbourhood’s residents. Actions will be developed in the schools surroundings, aimed at promoting sustainable mobility (on foot, by bicycle and by public transport). Working with children aims to change their current perception of mobility towards more sustainable transportation means, with a great potential of influencing their parents and thus their daily commuting to school. Developing a pilot project for a Low-Emission Zone will be part of the activities, which can become a precedent for other actions and can be incorporated into Belo Horizonte’s climate change legal framework and plans. The final aim is to improve mobility conditions in the neighbourhood and reduce GHG emissions linked to the transport sector that could later be replicated in other areas of the city. Thus, this project will be conducted in close cooperation with the municipality’s team in charge of the implementation of Zones 30s in Belo Horizonte. 
 
Agroecology and Well Being: Waste Management and Urban Agriculture
​Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Applicant organisation: Rede de Intercâmbio de Tecnologias Alternativas (REDE)
 
The proposal aims to reduce the emission of GHG and to contribute to liveable neighbourhoods through the following actions: (i) structuring of four Composting Centers coordinated by REDE, through physical improvements in spaces and restructuring of the collection dynamics, enabling effective waste management in 20 neighbourhoods of Belo Horizonte. It is expected a reduction of GHG emissions of roughly 30%, through the composting of organic waste, which will no longer be sent to the landfills/dumps; (ii) decentralized management of solid waste and implementation of low carbon solutions for its collection; (iii) the implementation of Agroforestry Systems (AFSs) and urban gardens through training in poor communities in Belo Horizonte and nearby municipalities, together with urban farmers and partner organizations, minimizing food waste in distribution, management, storage and in food processing; (iv) training and integration of local communities, where materials will be produced for the dissemination and diffusion of experiences of positive and participatory transformation of public spaces, as well as educational and training activities customized to the target audience and the implementation of agroforestry through workshops and communities-based planning and actions.
 
This proposal builds on existing initiatives in Belo Horizonte, such as the implementation of Zones 30, the NGO Nossa BH that works with urban mobility through non-motorized, the Lixo Zero Santa Tereza Project, municipal programmes - EcoEscola and specific initiatives within the scope of the Urban Pathways project.
Implementing EcoZone pilot project in La Tola neighborhood
Quito, Ecuador
Applicant organisation: Aves y Conservación
 
The municipality of Quito is implementing a Low-Emissions Zone (LEZ) in the Historic Centre of Quito (HCQ) by banning the access to cars in the main streets, with which the pollution has decreased significantly. In the next 4 years, with the support of the European Project SOLUTIONSplus, the municipality will provide e-mobility solutions to improve connectivity and last mile logistics in the area. The LEZ will, however, focus only on the core of the HCQ pushing the pollution and emissions to the peripheral neighborhoods. Therefore, there is a need to address air pollution and other urban environmental aspects in the neighbourhoods surrounding the main intervention area. 
 
This proposal aims at implementing an EcoZone in La Tola neighbourhood, one of the 16 neighbourhoods of the HCQ, where this approach could be successfully implemented and then replicated in other neighbourhoods of the HCQ. This pilot will use participatory methodologies to increase support for sustainable mobility modes, transform public spaces, promote clean streets and waste reduction and separation. Their approach seeks to empower neighbours to have an impact in the change in their community, raise awareness on sustainable mobility and environmental issues, as well as improve the collective knowledge of sustainable urban development. These activities will consider nature based solutions using native plants and recycled materials to increase green spaces to mitigate the impact of high temperatures, capture pollution, and act as carbon sinks, while enhancing urban biodiversity.
 
Democratising disaster risk management and ecosystem-based adaptation
​Applicant organisation: Observatorio Universitario de Ordenamiento Territorial (OUOT)
 
Managing crises and disasters is a daily occurrence to most cities around the world. Whether of natural (e.g. floods) or artificial (e.g. pollution) origin, it is not a question of "if" but of "when" they will happen, and how much damage they will cause. Therefore, cities need to take urgent measures to prepare, respond and recover from disasters.
 
The variety of tools available for cities to design and implement such measures does not allow them to do so by themselves. They require significant amounts of resources (e.g. time and data) that cities do not have. Ultimately, cities in Honduras rely on plans done by external agencies that are neither adapted to the local context nor appropriated by public officials, remaining largely unimplemented. As a result, everyone is less prepared, and every time a disaster occurs, an opportunity to reduce the loss of life and property is lost.
 
This project aims at building the capacity of city officials and communities in applying innovative institutional and low-cost technology-based approaches in order to be better prepared for, respond to and recover from disasters, with the speed and scale that the subject requires.