The UFI Programme (PAPU) is pleased to present its technical handbook entitled ‘Implementing participation in urban development projects: a toolkit from urban fabric initiatives’.

This compilation, the result of eight years of field trials and participatory initiatives carried out within various urban nurseries, brings together lessons learnt, methods and tools that have been tried and tested in a variety of contexts.

The aim of this guide is to share the practices developed and tested in real-world situations by UFI operators and practitioners in the field, in order to support the implementation of participatory approaches tailored to the challenges of urban planning.

How can we create spaces that truly meet everyone’s needs? How can we build public spaces that exclude no one? How can we ensure that the needs of women, children, older people and people with disabilities are genuinely taken into account? To address these challenges, the urban planning workshop Approche.s!, in collaboration with the Pépinières urbaines network, has developed a practical tool: the criteria grid for equitable urban planning.

The guide is now available to support all those involved in urban development.

On 10 March, the UFI network met for a discussion focused on a key issue for urban projects: how can gender inclusion be put into practice in public spaces?

Access to education and culture is a key pillar of neighbourhood regeneration. In Kigali, the project to build a nursery school and library in Nyakabanda brings this ambition to life by creating a safe, inclusive space for learning and sharing that is fully integrated into its surroundings.

The transformation of public spaces hinges, above all, on meeting the essential needs of communities. In Kigali, at the heart of the Rwezamenyo and Nyakabanda neighbourhoods, the water kiosk projects perfectly illustrate how a utilitarian facility can become a catalyst for community life and social interaction.