UNITAC-Hamburg strengthens partnerships and advances digital solutions during Namibia mission

A UNITAC-Hamburg delegation visited Namibia in April 2025 to advance collaboration on urban innovation, just transitions, and climate resilience. The mission strengthened partnerships with national and local stakeholders, supported capacity-building activities, and advanced the development of digital tools such as the Digital Job Card and Smart City Strategy for Windhoek.
Co-developing a Digital Job Card app with Rehoboth in Namibia

As part of a three-year project, UNITAC supports various towns in Namibia with data-driven decision-making and the implementation of innovative digital solutions.
What data projects mean for informal settlements

Tagesspiegel Background article: Insights from Prof. Dr. Gesa Ziemer, UNITAC Academic Lead and Head of City Science Lab, in Hamburg.
Supporting sustainable urban recovery in Ukraine

UN-Habitat has started activities in Ukraine to support the country’s urban recovery efforts, including sustainable and inclusive urban recovery planning across the country.
Leveraging local expertise to enhance urban sustainability with BEAM
UNITAC team facilitated the launch of the Building and Establishment Automated Mapper (BEAM) tool and, in partnership with the Human Settlement Unit from the eThekwini Municipality, hosted a Project Advisory Meeting in the city of eThekwini, South Africa.
Urban technology and collaboration in informal settlements

Enhancing livelihoods and empowering communities, a Symposium journey.
Digital Kgotla in Botswana, Gaborone - Participatory urban planning with DIPAS

UNITAC in collaboration with the Department of Town & Country Planning of Botswana (DTCP) and the Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub (BDIH) hosted a 2-day Digital Participatory Planning Workshop in Gaborone.
Using Artificial Intelligence for better city planning
To support the eThekwini municipality in automating their building mapping process, the UNITAC team developed BEAM (Building & Establishment Automated Mapper), a software that uses Machine Learning to radically accelerate the spatial recognition of buildings and keep track of changes in the built-up area or density.