Applicants: Prof. Dr. Ignacio Farías (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Prof. Jörg Stollmann (Technische Universität Berlin), Mennatullah Hendawy (Technische Universität Berlin), Dr.-Ing. Shaimaa Abouelmagd (Technische Universität Berlin)

Project partner:
Prof. Vanessa Watson (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Assoc. Prof. Alta Steenkamp (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Dr.Federica Duca (Wits University, South Africa)
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Doaa Abouelmagd (University of Helwan, Egypt)
Baher El-Shaarawy (Housing and Building national Research Center,  Ministry of Housing, utilities and Urban Communities, Egypt)
Mohamed Abou Samra (NGO TAKAMOL Foundation, Egypt)

Undoing the conceptual device of the “Global South” as well as the hegemony of “Northern” planning theories and pedagogies, 'Connecting Urbanity' aims at creating conditions for paying attention to, learning from and thinking with otherwise disqualified planning knowledges from cities and urbanized regions around the world. We expand on AbdouMaliq Simone’s concept of the near-South, which conceptualizes the South as an urban condition rather than a world region, to explore the minor urban knowledges and projects held by urban actors across the world. The long-term aim of the project is to start a book series on stories and viewpoints from the near-South written by urban scholars, practitioners and activists in the fields of planning practice, education and theory building.