The Mayor of Brazzaville, Dieudonné Bantsimba, undertook an important mission to Europe between May 10th and 17th, 2025, to present the new and ambitious urban development program of the Congolese capital. The plan, entitled “Brazzaville: Green, Creative and Inclusive City,” aims to transform the city through integrated interventions in the sectors of culture, environment, demography, urban planning, and urban agriculture.
During his stay, Bantsimba participated in the Biennale of Cities in Transition in Grenoble, France, and met with representatives of two important United Nations bodies in Geneva: UN-Habitat and Unitar (United Nations Institute for Training and Research). With the support of the association “Culture et Développement,” the Mayor requested the collaboration of these organizations to contribute to the implementation of the plan, with a particular focus on strengthening local capacities for sustainable development, inclusive governance, and a culture of peace.
The program is structured around various priority axes, with a central focus on climate and the management of environmental resources (water, erosion, floods, sand, urban hygiene). Bantsimba emphasized that the success of the project depends on the mobilization of expertise and invited Unitar to become an official partner of the initiative.
He also highlighted the intention to create synergies with other African cities to make Brazzaville a replicable model at the continental level.
Graham Alabaster, head of UN-Habitat in Geneva, welcomed Brazzaville’s vision, praising the integration of the cultural dimension into urban planning. He acknowledged the challenges related to development financing but also expressed confidence in the determination and operational capacities of the municipal team.
In addition to the institutional meetings, Bantsimba had exchanges with the authorities of the cities of Essen (Germany) and Alzira (Spain), and visited water and cultural infrastructures in Grenoble. In particular, he was inspired by the “salle Belle électrique” to transform the hall of the third arrondissement of Brazzaville (Poto-Poto) into a space for artistic and civic dissemination.
