LEARN at Africa Urban Forum 2026: contributing to conversations on climate, mobility and housing
LEARN is the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network, an international and multidisciplinary community within the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus alliance. The network connects researchers, policymakers, practitioners and civil society organisations across Europe and East Africa, with a shared focus on urban challenges and locally grounded research collaboration.
On Wednesday, 8 April 2026, the Africa Urban Forum 2026 brought together policymakers, researchers and practitioners from across the continent to engage in dialogue on the future of African cities.
During the forum, the LEARN network contributed actively through both its booth and a dedicated side event session.
At the LEARN booth, visitors engaged in discussions on key urban challenges in East Africa, including infrastructure resilience, equitable service delivery and sustainable urban development. The space also provided an opportunity to learn more about LEARN’s education programmes and to connect with researchers and practitioners across the region.
As part of the programme, LEARN hosted the session The Future of Urban Housing in a Changing Climate, focusing on the growing impact of climate-induced mobility on cities. The session brought together speakers from Kenya to explore how housing and urban planning systems can respond to shifting population dynamics.
Discussions highlighted how climate mobility is already reshaping urban realities, and underscored the need for approaches that are grounded in local contexts and informed by collaboration between research, policy and practice.
Through its presence at the forum, LEARN contributed to ongoing exchanges on how cities across Africa can respond to complex and interconnected urban challenges.
Interested in joining or learning more?
The network welcomes researchers, policymakers and practitioners working on urban issues in East Africa: LEARN
