The IHS Alumni Impact Award competition comes to a close with a workshop on impact through community participation (featuring the three award finalists as case studies), followed by the award ceremony and a chance to connect and expand your network while enjoying drinks & bites.
This biennial competition aims to recognise and support worldwide urban initiatives of IHS graduates. This way, IHS alumni who make an impact in their cities and communities through innovative small scale urban projects, can showcase their work and inspire other urban professionals to become change-makers.
- Date
- Friday 9 Oct 2026, 14:00 - 17:00
- Type
- Alumni
- Spoken Language
- English
- Location
Erasmus Pavillion, Greenhouse
- Ticket information
Free entrance with registration.
| Programme | |
|---|---|
| 14:00 | Welcome and Introduction |
| 14:20-15:50 | Workshop "Moving the needle: from community participation to urban change" |
| 15:50-16:00 | Break |
| 16:00-17:00 | Award ceremony |
| 17:00-18:00 | Connect & celebrate with drinks and bites |
About the workshop
"Moving the needle: from community participation to urban change"
When communities participate in urban development, what does actually change? How can participation lead to real impact?
Community participation is increasingly central to urban development, but it does not automatically result in change. Participation alone is not the end goal, but rather understanding how participation can lead to more agency, influence and eventually institutional or formal changes. People cannot remain only beneficiaries of urban development; they need to be knowledge producers, participants and decision-makers.
In this workshop, you can dive deeper into how small, community-centred initiatives can contribute to concrete impact in cities. You will gain more knowledge about stakeholders, participation and its forms, and learn how to approach a similar challenge of your own. You will learn face-to-face from three case studies - the finalist initiatives of the IHS Alumni Impact Award, whose representatives will be present for the workshop. These initiatives from Kenya, Ecuador and Pakistan, respond to different challenges, but they share a common principle: urban change starts with people and communities. Whether through participatory planning, family-led environmental action or inclusive public spaces, they demonstrate how involving local communities can lead to real impact.
Facilitator: Dr Pamela Durán-DÃaz
Dr. Pamela Durán-DÃaz is a Senior Planning Specialist and lecturer in the master’s track on Urban Socio-Spatial Transformations at IHS. Concurrently, she is pursuing a Habilitation in Sustainable Land Governance for WEF Systems at the Technical University of Munich. She is a guest lecturer at UNESCO Chair FLACAM, co-convener of the Sustainability team at Our World Heritage Foundation, and a scientific advisor at TU eMpower Africa. Her diverse research interests show her dedication to broader goals in sustainable development and cultural preservation. View full profile
The case studies are:
- People’s Adaptation – Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan for Homa Bay Municipality 2025–2035
Fredrick Onyango Warega and Rex Otieno Omondi’s initiative places communities at the centre of climate-resilient urban planning in Homa Bay Municipality, Kenya. - Ecuador’s Family-led Clean Air Observatory – Pacha Ayllu (Families of Nature)
Tannya Pico Parra’s Pacha Ayllu initiative brings families together to become active guardians of air quality in Ecuador. - Urban Youth Sports Inclusion Initiative: Transforming Public Spaces into Community Assets
Muhammad Khizer Afzaal Chaudhary’s Urban Youth Sports Inclusion Initiative uses public sports infrastructure as a platform for youth development, social inclusion and community wellbeing in Punjab, Pakistan
Award ceremony & networking drinks
Celebrate & Connect! During the IHS Alumni Impact Award 2026 ceremony, the winning alumni initiative will be announced. After that, continue the celebration and connect over networking with drinks and bites, with the finalists and the wider IHS community.
Join the event
Come and celebrate the people turning urban knowledge into action, meet inspiring IHS alumni, discover practical examples of urban impact, exchange ideas with fellow urban professionals and help us celebrate the next chapter of the IHS Alumni Impact Award.
Read more about the case studies for the workshop
- More information
About the IHS Alumni Impact Award
