‘My city should be my home – green, safe, social,’ is how one visitor summed up his expectations of a desirable and liveable urban environment. His message had been posted on the ‘dream house of ideas and wishes’, an interactive element that formed part of the German presentation at the Fifth World Urban Forum (WUF) and invited visitors to think and get involved.

Under the title ‘The Right to the City – Bridging the Urban Divide‘, WUF 5 opened its doors in Rio de Janeiro on 22 March to 21,000 international visitors – the highest number ever recorded at the WUF. The German stand, designed and coordinated by GTZ AgenZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), once again proved enormously popular. The idea of using the stand primarily as a communication platform proved a great success. Great importance was attached to the information content of the German presentation: under the slogan ‘Germany – Contributing to a Sustainable Urban Future’ it provided clear and comprehensive information on topics such as good urban governance, political participation of urban populations and overcoming poverty and social differences. Each afternoon international experts gave presentations on their projects and were available for specialist dialogues, creating opportunities for strengthening existing networks and establishing new contacts. In addition to BMZ and BMBF, the stand also represented the German Development Service (DED), GTZ, Inwent – Capacity Building International, Germany, KfW Entwicklungsbank, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the City of Stuttgart, Darmstadt Technical University and the HafenCity University Hamburg.

The strategically chosen communication platform was exceptionally well frequented. Many experts from international development cooperation, representatives of government and non-governmental organisations and high-ranking political guests came to the stand to talk with German representatives, learn about German development cooperation approaches and discuss individual experiences and projects. This exchange of the latest findings from research and practice resulted in valuable new contacts with decision-makers involved in urban affairs.

BMZ and BMBF were also actively involved in various events of the Forum’s official programme. The networking event ‘Urban (In)Security’ (BMZ) provoked a lively debate among the many participants, as did the BMBF ‘Megacities’ Experiences’ event.

A further highlight of the German presentation was the reception held at the German stand on 24 March 2010 and attended by over 150 guests. Franz Marré, Head of Division at BMZ, and Prof. Dr Eckart Ehlers, coordinator of the BMBF Future Megacities initiative, summed up the German message to WUF 5 participants succinctly: the World Urban Forum is a unique opportunity for ‘kindred spirits’ from all over the world to exchange and share their knowledge and experience. It is an opportunity to learn what urban development means in practice and how it can be approached successfully based on best-practice examples. The network character of the WUF is essential for joint action – and only through coordination, complementarity and cooperation can results be achieved that will safeguard the future of our cities for generations to come.