#ourwonderfulgreenfuture — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ourwonderfulgreenfuture, aggregated by home.social.
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Participatory Urbanism: A beginners guide
I recently did a speech to my local Rotary Club about a Participatory Urbanism project I am working on. To my surprise, the audience appeared equally interested in the whole Participatory Urbanism concept, as much as the project itself. So I thought it would be good to put together a quick explainer, which I can point people to, if they are interested.
Participatory Urbanism is an approach to city planning and development that actively involves citizens in the decision-making processes, right from the start, to create more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable urban environments.
Urban planning, once the exclusive domain of architects, developers, and policymakers, is slowly opening its doors to the people who live in the neighbourhoods they are shaping. This movement—known as Participatory Urbanism—is about putting residents at the centre of urban change. Unlike what we see right now, where residents are on the periphery of any decision making.
Participatory Urbanism invites community members to co-create the future of their cities. It moves beyond consultation into real collaboration, where local knowledge, lived experiences, and collective imagination become essential tools in the planning process. Whether it’s redesigning a park, rethinking traffic flow, or creating more inclusive public spaces, the goal is to make cities not just more efficient—but more just, vibrant, and responsive to human needs.
This approach goes by many names. You might hear it called “collaborative urbanism”, “community-led planning”, or “co-design”. In digital spaces, it intersects with “civic tech” and the “smart citizen” movement, where data and tools empower residents to advocate for better services. In the physical world, it often overlaps with “tactical urbanism”—those DIY, grassroots projects that temporarily transform urban spaces to test new ideas.
What unites all these threads is a simple but powerful belief: the people who live in a place are experts in their own right. By making space for their voices, we build not just better cities—but stronger communities.
Right now we get community participation really, really wrong. Most civic systems are hierarchical, with decisions made by a few “experts” behind closed doors. Public participation is often tokenistic—last-minute, limited, and on the civic leaders’ terms. It feels disingenuous, formal, and uninspiring, excluding genuine input and creativity. The same voices dominate, while people are sidelined and are not truly at the centre of decision-making.
Participatory Urbanism ultimately means reimagining our cities as places shaped by the people who live in them. It shifts power from top-down planning to collaborative processes where residents have a real say in decisions that affect their daily lives. This approach fosters more inclusive, equitable, and responsive urban environments by valuing local knowledge, creativity, and lived experience. When communities co-create their neighbourhoods—whether through planning, design, or stewardship—cities become more vibrant, just, and resilient. Participatory urbanism is about putting people at the heart of urban change, ensuring cities are not just built for communities, but built with them.
There is no one single way to implement Participatory Urbanism. Lots of cities are trying to do it right now and we see lots of different ideas and models emerging. In reality there never should be one single approach/method/model because that flies in the face of the whole idea of consulting local residents. An approach that suits one city may not work in another. Fortunately there are lots of examples we can look at from around the world, and take inspiration from. I wrote about Bologna, Italy’s approach here: https://owgf.org/2024/08/02/should-we-follow-bolognas-model-for-participatory-urbanism/ There is also the Transition Network working on providing ideas for communities that want to organise, which I posted about here: https://owgf.org/2024/08/04/transition-togethers-free-step-by-step-guide/ Also a quick web search for “Participatory Urbanism Tools” will deliver more results than you can poke a stick at.
Our Wonderful Green Future will be a co-designed by the people, for the people.
This post was created in #WordPress and can be viewed in the #Fedivers at: @[email protected]
OWGF has a Fediverse companion profile at: https://mastodon.world/@OWGF
OWGF is also on #Pixelfed here: https://pixelfed.social/OWGF
#Environment #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #OWGF #Regeneration #SolarPunk #StrongTowns #sustainability #Urbanism
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African’s quiet energy and environmental revolution
A quiet revolution is underway in Africa that appears to be going mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. A green revolution in energy, transport and regeneration. A revolution that has the potential to unlock A Wonderful Green Future for the people of Africa.
Of all the sectors driving Africa’s clean energy and environmental transformation, two-wheel transport stands out as the most dynamic and rapidly evolving. Africa is currently experiencing a surge in homegrown motorcycle designers and manufacturers, with at least 10 companies now in operation. These bikes have all been designed in Africa, for African conditions. Just six years ago the nascent bike industry was developing modified ICE bikes with hub motors. After six years of dedicated learning and continuous improvement, they present the latest generation of bikes that we see today. Some are made abroad, some built locally with imported parts, some have developed their own battery technology and some are developing their own battery swapping ecosystems. Many of the manufacturers have been smart in using common parts from the most popular ICE bikes. Leavers, brakes, forks wheels, etc. which means spare parts are abundant. This makes it easier to tap into existing supply chains and start new businesses and manufacturing, developed around common parts. This builds more resilience into the system, creates more local jobs and keeps more money in local economies.
Some of the standout manufacturers leading this surge include:
Spiro – Nairobi, Kenya.
Spiro is Africa’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, currently operating over 20,000 electric motorbikes across nine African countries including Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company has established its own network with over 600 battery swapping stations. (https://www.spironet.com)
Roam – Nairobi, Kenya.
Roam, a Swedish-Kenyan electric mobility company, has established itself as a pioneer in Africa’s sustainable transportation sector. The company designs and manufactures electric motorcycles tailored for African conditions, with its flagship model, the Roam Air. Roam has raised over $31.5 million in funding, including a recent $24 million Series A round, positioning itself for significant expansion across the continent. It has also developed its own battery swapping system and charging facilities. (https://www.roam-electric.com)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m6UGDhJ6_M
Kofa – Ghana
Kofa, a Ghanaian clean-tech startup, has developed a multi-use, high-capacity battery system called Kore2, alongside an innovative battery swapping network. Kofa’s business model focuses on creating an affordable and customer-driven electricity network powered by portable batteries and renewable energy. In partnership with TAIL-G, a globally recognised e-motorcycle manufacturer, Kofa has designed the Jidi e-motorcycle specifically for the African market, offering a range of over 100km. (https://www.kofa.co)
Ampersand – Rwanda
Ampersand is a pioneering electric motorcycle startup based in Kigali, Rwanda, transforming urban transportation through its innovative battery swapping technology. Founded in 2019, the company has rapidly scaled from 20 initial e-motos to become a significant player in East Africa’s emerging electric vehicle market. Its battery swapping system, allows motorcycle taxi drivers to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones in under two minutes. This approach solves critical challenges of electric vehicle adoption in Africa: charging time and infrastructure limitations. (https://www.ampersand.solar)
What Ampersand is doing also ties in with other African EV leadership and the phasing out of petrol motorcycles, which I wrote about here: https://owgf.org/2024/11/07/kigalis-bold-move-phasing-out-petrol-powered-motorcycles/. From January 1st, 2025, only electric motorcycles can be registered in Rwanda.
Zembo – Kampala, Uganda
Founded in 2018, Zembo is a pioneering e-mobility startup based in Kampala, Uganda. The company designs, assembles, and sells electric motorcycles tailored for the African market, particularly targeting the popular “boda boda” (motorcycle taxi) sector. Zembo’s business model combines affordable electric motorcycles with a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) approach, utilising a network of solar-powered battery swapping stations across Uganda. (https://www.zem.bo/)
Other manufacturers of note include: https://www.max.ng – https://www.ewaka.tech – https://greenfoot.africa – https://www.ecobodaa.bike and I should make an honourable mention to the electric three wheelers which are now getting more popular: https://cleantechnica.com/2024/09/19/electric-3-wheeler-sales-reach-1-market-share-in-kenya/
Ethiopia’s ban on ICEV
To match all of this innovation, some countries are backing it up with new laws to curb the consumption of fossil fuels. Ethiopia has become the first country in the world to implement an immediate ban on the import of internal combustion engine vehicles, allowing only electric vehicles to enter the country. This bold move, announced by Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, aims to reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuel imports, which cost nearly $6 billion last year, and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in line with the country’s green development goals. (CleanTechnica.com) Currently the main issues are training mechanics to work on EVs and charging infrastructure. Most vehicles are either charged at home or at work and there is little in the way of public rapid charging.
Other EV initiatives
While China has been very active in the EV market recently, Africa’s electrification is also being noticed by a few European EV makers, from big to small. New EV designs that specifically cater for African conditions are being developed which will only make adoption more likely.
Volkswagen Group Africa has officially commenced operations at its new multifunctional facility in Gashora, Rwanda, aimed at testing modern farming techniques using electric tractors as part of the innovative GenFarm project. This initiative is designed to create a sustainable ecosystem for mechanised farming in rural Africa, enhancing agricultural productivity while promoting environmental sustainability and clean energy solutions (https://kigalijournal.com/volkswagen-group-africa-launches-facility-for-e-tractors-in-rwanda/)
Also there is OX Delivers. An electric truck that is a purpose-built, flat-pack vehicle specifically designed for African road conditions, featuring high ground clearance and a sturdy construction that can handle unpaved roads and challenging terrain. With a 74-KWh battery providing over 90 miles of range, and a unique truck-as-a-service model, the OX electric truck aims to revolutionise transportation and logistics for smallholder farmers and businesses across East Africa. What OX is doing is very different to other EV makers and it’s worth watching this excellent video from Fully Charged about them: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMIcmYOBd-E )
Renewable Energy
Outside of transport there is now lots of activity in the clean energy sector. Energy independence is absolutely crucial for Africa due to the high costs of fossil fuel imports and the impact on balance of trade payments. The majority of African countries are net energy importers, with 38 nations relying heavily on imported fossil fuels[2]. This dependence exposes African nations to volatile global oil prices, jeopardising their balance of payments positions and eroding economic prosperity. As the cost of imported energy continues to increase, government subsidies in some African countries have tripled in recent years, reaching record highs and further straining national budgets[6]. By achieving energy independence, through renewable resources, African nations can reduce their vulnerability to price fluctuations, improve their trade balances, and redirect funds towards sustainable development rather than fossil fuel imports[3][4].
This means that right across Africa many leaders are pushing for as much new renewable energy as possible. The continent’s installed renewable capacity is set to grow from 54 GW in 2020 to more than 530 GW by 2040, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity soaring to 340 GW and wind energy rising to 90 GW.
All across Africa there are 100’s of projects in development or under construction. From truly massive projects like the G5 Sahel Desert to Power Project, a $10 billion project aiming to add 10 GW of solar capacity across 11 Sahel countries[4], to much smaller but also very important projects like the Roggeveld Wind Farm (South Africa). A 147 MW project owned by Red Rocket[5][6]. While the larger African economies are getting the most projects there is activity right across the continent.
Africa Minigrid Program
What is just as exciting is the Africa Minigrid Program. This approach to energy production and consumption brings affordability, resilience and energy independence down to the micro level. Villages, communities and homes that have never been able to connect to the main grid, due to cost, are now being connected up to micro grids. 80% of people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have access to clean, safe fuels and technologies for cooking. That represents 923 million people. Many rely on noisy, inefficient, expensive and polluting generators for electricity production. The roll out of minigrids and other adjacent technologies like P2P energy trading will change all this.
I wrote about one such project in Zimbabwe here (https://owgf.org/2024/10/29/zimbabwe-solar-mini-grid/) You can read more about the Africa Minigrid Program here: https://africaminigrids.org/category/news/ This is a relatively new development but more projects like this are due to happen in 2025.
Regeneration
Outside the clean energy revolution there are numerous regeneration initiatives happening across Africa. Desertification is a critical issue affecting Africa, with 45% of the continent’s land area currently impacted and 55% of this affected land is at high or very high risk of further degradation. This widespread land degradation threatens the livelihoods of millions who depend on the land for subsistence. The solution to this problem is regeneration on a massive scale.
The Great Green Wall
No other African environmental project has been more talked about than The Great Green Wall. This African-led initiative is aiming to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across the Sahel region, with the goal of combating desertification, sequestering 250 million tonnes of carbon, and creating 10 million green jobs by 2030. The project is currently about 15% complete and has already restored 18 million hectares of land and is transforming the lives of millions by creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across 11 countries, from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/green-wall-promote-peace-and-restore-nature-africas-sahel-region
Food Forests
Part of the Great Green Wall initiative involves the creation of food forests. At the heart of this initiative lies small quarter-acre plots that encapsulates the project’s essence. These tiny pieces of land can provide everything a family needs, from building materials to food production, habitat, and temperature regulation. I wrote about this in a previous post here: https://owgf.org/2023/12/02/how-8000-food-forests-grew-africas-great-green-wall/
Earth Smiles
One of the main techniques for regeneration is the use of water bunds, or as they are more affectionately know as “Earth Smiles.” This is an innovative environmental initiative aimed at regreening degraded landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa. These water bunds are semi-circular pits designed to capture and retain rainwater, preventing it from running off and being wasted. By slowing down water flow and allowing it to infiltrate the soil, these bunds help restore moisture to arid lands, promoting vegetation growth and improving biodiversity. The approach emphasises community involvement, ensuring that those most affected by environmental degradation actively participate in reversing it. Through this grassroots approach, “Earth Smiles” are transforming barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems while addressing climate change at both local and global levels. Permaculture instructor Andrew Millison has made an excellent video on them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbBdIG–b58
AFR100
Another massive regeneration initative is African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) A country-led effort to restore 100 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes across Africa by 2030. With 33 African nations committed and 129 million hectares pledged for restoration, AFR100 leverages local expertise and a network of technical and financial partners to implement thousands of community-led projects, addressing issues such as food security, climate change resilience and rural poverty through sustainable landscape restoration practices. Their website is filled with hundreds of projects that have already been undertaken. https://afr100.org/
Wrapping up
While there is clearly lots of great things happening in Africa, it isn’t all rosy on the environmental front. There is still considerable destruction happening, especially with logging and deforestation, which remain a big concern. Also despite all the new Renewables projects, fossil fuels consumption is still growing. On top of this nations are increasingly being affected by global heating and extreme weather. A Wonderful Green Future is not assured, but as this article points out, there is a way forward emerging. This post has only scratched the surface on all the environmental projects happening in Africa. As more projects happen, more knowledge is shared, more people see what is possible, get involved, and then hopefully this quiet revolution will pick up pace.
A huge thank you to Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai for chatting to me about his on the ground experience in Africa. You can see his work here: https://cleantechnica.com/author/remeredzaijosephkuhudzai/
Other links of interest:
Justdiggit is a non-profit organisation supporting the earth smiles initiative – https://justdiggit.org/
Other information on restoring ecosystems in Africa via the UN. – https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/africa-restoring-ecosystems-central-green-recovery
Introduction to Africa’s green revolution – https://www.green.earth/blog/carbon-ar-afforestation-reforestation-projects-africa
Some thoughts on China’s role in Africa: https://theconversation.com/chinas-interests-in-africa-are-being-shaped-by-the-race-for-renewable-energy-237679
Rwanda announces master plan for EV infrastructure – https://www.electrive.com/2024/12/04/rwanda-announces-master-plan-for-ev-infrastructure/
#Africa #Agriculture #Biodiversity #climateChange #ClimateAction #ElectricMotorbikes #Electrification #Environment #news #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #Regeneration #renewableEnergy #sustainability
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**Open in a new tab to see full size
I created this infographic to highlight the positive transformations that can happen in our cities as we move towards Net Zero. Contrary to the fears some might have, Net Zero is not a grim scenario. Instead, it offers a chance to address the many issues currently affecting our cities with better solutions. As we face a climate-changed future, living sustainably and prioritising the environment will become essential. This means generating less waste, using less energy, and reimagining our economy and daily practices.
More Nature
Our net Zero cities will be filled with greenery. Trees provide numerous benefits, so we will plant them everywhere. We will need to be creating pocket parks, food forests, nature-bathing spaces, wildlife habitats, and pollinator corridors. Our cities will become green havens, moving away from being dominated by concrete and industrial forms. GIMBYism – Greenery in my back yard, please
SuDS & Sponge Cities
In Net Zero Cities we will be a lot better at managing water. Building sustainable Urban Drainage Systems. (SuDS) Networks, of engineered vegetated areas and open spaces, (e.g; green roofs, rain gardens and porous pavements) designed to protect natural ecosystems and offer benefits to people and wildlife. We will be building Sponge Cities that emphasise flood management through green infrastructure. Sponge Cities alleviate urban flooding, water shortages, and heat island effects by incorporating more parks, gardens, green spaces, wetlands, nature strips, and permeable pavings.
Streets for People
In Net Zero Cities we will be reclaiming streets from polluting vehicles and making them safe for walking, cycling and for children to play in. We will be converting roads into multi-purpose spaces where everyone feels safe and welcome. Taking our streets back from being places to store cars and turning them into nature strips.
3rd Places
Net Zero Cities will see lots more spaces for people to gather and socialise. 3rd places where people can organise pop-up shops, music venues, or even dancing in the street. Third places that foster community interaction and provide a relaxed environment for people to gather outside of home and work.
Transport Choices
Net Zero Cities will see the end of Car Dependency. Residents will have multiple options for getting around. From walking to local amenities to using bikes and scooters for longer trips. Dedicated lanes for Micro Mobility will be ubiquitous. Public transport will be expanded to cover all parts of the city. Private vehicles will be slowed down on side streets, and car ownership discouraged in favour of car sharing.
Economic Resilience
Net Zero Cities will need to support locally owned businesses that sell locally made products and recycle any “waste.” Building an economy that measures collective happiness and well-being, not just wealth. Ensuring cities are as self sufficient as possible, while being connected to global and regional networks with zero emissions transport.
Ministries of Imagination
Empowering people to co-design their neighbourhoods with local councils and implement changes for everyone’s benefit. Creating “pacts”, similar to those in Bologna, where local residents can propose ideas for improving the local community and get funding and support for their ideas.
Should we follow bolognas model for participatory urbanism?Energy Self-Sufficiency
In Net Zero cities we will be producing 85% of energy locally, with solar, and storing it in community batteries. With peer-to-peer energy trading and connected microgrids, communities will be able to share their energy with neighbours. Energy efficiency and using smart appliances to manage demand will make the whole system more resilient.
Urban Farming
In Net Zero Cities, urban food production will greatly expand. We’ll see more herbs and leafy greens growing in residential gardens and community spaces. Food forests with fruit and nut trees will transform unused areas into productive green spaces. Vertical farms will be supplying local stores with fresh produce. Also allotments near apartment buildings will enable residents to grow their own vegetables and herbs, fostering community and sustainability.
Better Health
Net Zero Cities will be considerably better for human health. We will see big reductions in air pollution, traffic noise, stress, traffic violence and loneliness. At the same time we will have more active lifestyles, more community connections and access to a lot more calming green spaces.
Common Ownership
In Net Zero Cities we will be embracing a sharing economy where people share tools, appliances, vehicles, toys, books, clothes and more. We will dramatically reduce the need for personal ownership of rarely used items by placing them into the public realm. When an item is no longer wanted it can go to a “library” for others to use.
More Public Housing
Net Zero Cities will ensure design and building decisions are based on community and environmental needs rather than profit. We will need a lot more public housing, cooperatives, and community land trusts, for better social outcomes. All buildings will be designed and built with end of life “Urban Mining” in mind and to the highest environmental standards.
Urban Mining Centres
“Waste” is only waste if we choose not to reuse it. Our cities contain valuable materials and commodities that can be repaired, reused, or recycled. Future cities will feature Urban Mining Centres where everything previously considered waste will be repaired, reused, or recycled. Our cities will be filled with 1000’s of companies like this Revival Projects employing 10,000’s of people.
And that’s it! My very top level Net Zero Cities features and benefits. If I have missed any super important points, or you have any other comments, please share them below or in the Fediverse. https://mastodon.world/@OWGF
There is a whole lot more information on how we bring nature into our cities in this book, if you want to dive into the details: Nature-Based Solutions for Cities
https://owgf.org/2024/09/18/net-zero-cities/
#Biodiversity #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction #Environment #NetZeroCities #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #OWGF #Regeneration #SolarPunk #UrbanFarming #Urbanism
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I love the lessons from Cuba section in this video, which shows how we can transition to a more sustainable way of life. #OurChangingClimate #EcoSocialism #SolarPunk #ClimateCrisis #Regeneration #Socialism #CircularEconomy #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #OWGF
https://youtube.com/watch?v=DjUr2HwdHwg&feature=shared -
In #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #CargoBikes will be everywhere.
A much nicer, more friendly way for us to transport smaller packages about.
Check out this wonderful White Paper from the #urbanfreightlab
#Urbanism #BikeTooter #SoalrPunk
https://urbanfreightlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Biking-the-Goods.pdf -
These photos aren't from the future, they are from here and now and show what can be done with just a little planning and preparing for #OurWonderfulGreenFuture
Taken from @ATLpaul
https://urbanists.social/@ATLpaul/111122026707698050
#Urbanism #Trees #Cycling #WalkableStreets #Atlanta -
Time to stop planning our #cities around #cars and start building them around people.
In #OurWonderfulGreenFuture we will have #TransportChoices not #CarDependence
#OWGF #Urbanism #BikeTooter #Trains #WalkableCities #15MinuteCities