Before the Next Flood: planning and knowledge for safer neighborhoods

• The exhibition "Ecologies of Belonging", by PhD Vija Viese (NTNU), exploring local community adaption along the Nairobi river, will be open and accessible at Arkitektenes Hus throughout the day

• Physical and digital seminar

Climate change affects cities and communities where people live, whether in Nepal, Kenya or along the decaying Oslo Fjord. In coastal and riverine areas, flooding, erosion, pollution, housing pressures, and social inequalities increasingly intersect, creating new challenges for planning, development, and climate adaptation.

On World Habitat Day 2026, Habitat Norway, GRID Arendal, Slum Dwellers International, Forum for Technology and Development Cooperation and Osloregionen invite friends and colleagues to Arkitektenes Hus to explore how locally led planning can help create safer, more resilient, and more inclusive communities. Drawing on experiences from Angola, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Norway, we will discuss how communities can play a stronger role in climate adaptation and how local government, researchers and civil society organizations can work together more effectively.

The programme combines international case studies, Norwegian perspectives, and a public debate on some of the most pressing questions facing coastal and river communities today. Speakers include • Allan Cain\, Director\, Development Workshop Angola • Kamila Gojobe\, community organizer and national youth leader\, Slumdwellers International SDI Kenya • Vija Viese urban designer and PhD candidate in the department for Architecture and Planning at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) • Charlotte Aune Bryne\, Climate and Environmental Planner\, on behalf of the Oslo Region Alliance • Synne Movik\, Researcher\, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) • Herman Søndenaa\, The Green Party of Norway (MDG)

Key questions: • Should environmental protection and climate adaptation carry greater weight than the need for new housing\, economic growth and defence preparedness as land-use conflicts intensify? • Are municipalities responding quickly enough to climate risks\, and what difficult decisions must be made today to reduce future costs and vulnerabilities? • How can locally led approaches strengthen both climate resilience and the right to adequate housing in vulnerable communities? • What does meaningful public participation look like in practice\, and how can residents play a stronger role in shaping climate adaptation measures?

Registration at Habitat Norway's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/beforethenextflood-planningandk7505987981946798080/

The physical event will also be live streamed and recorded.