Kigali, 31 August 2018: Ministry of Infrastructure in collaboration with GGGI, organized a one-day Urbanization Thematic Working Group as part of the series of the other Thematic Working Groups planned under the Urbanization Housing and Rural Settlement Sector Working Group. The meeting saw the attendance of representatives from Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land and Forestry, Rwanda Housing Authority, Rwanda Environmental Management Authority, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority, UN-Habitat, Enabel – Belgian Development Agency, RALGA, University of Rwanda, Rwanda Women’s Network, Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development, IGC Rwanda and Skat Consulting Rwanda among others.

The Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector Working Group was established in 2013 and prepares yearly forward looking Joint Sector Review that monitors activities in the sector. Sector targets and policy actions for 2018/2019 include pilot project on green and public space in Nyagatare, joint work of the Mininstry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) and the GGGI.

During the workshop, the Urban Planning and Housing Development Division Manager at MININFRA Mr. Edward Kyazze and Mr. Okechukwu Daniel Ogbonnaya, Acting Country Representative of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) welcomed participants with a note that outcomes of the Working Group should feed into other platforms within the Sector Working Group and support projects and programs. The discussion led to linking green and public spaces with the economic growth, with inclusivity in the urban development process, and the role of policy makers, architects, urban planners, and other stakeholders in the process of planning and designing green and public spaces.  

Inputs from others speakers helped to shape the debate on green and public spaces in Kigali and secondary cities and will feed into further discussion of Green Cities Focus Group set up to contribute to the revision of Kigali City master plan.

Other presentations in relation to the topics that were discussed on includes the National Urban Forum report under elaboration by UN-habitat that will be hosted by MININFRA in October during Urban month and The City Prosperity Initiative(CPI) which is a tool created byUN-Habitat to measure the prosperity and sustainability of cities and to assist decision makers to design effective policy interventions.

The recently adopted global development agendas acknowledged the importance of public spaces to achieve sustainable development. As an example, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, through established target 11.7, states that by 2030 we should “provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”. Kigali and secondary cities listed as priority projects creation of green and public spaces in their respective District Development Strategies (DDS) guiding the development up to 2024. Priority projects and programmes are brought in by the local government and stakeholders during the consultations process, that for secondary cities was facilitated by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).