Together, the Van Leer Foundation, LSE Cities and the African Centre for Cities are investing in a growing network of leaders who are reimagining African cities through the lens of care, ensuring that the youngest residents and the people who care for them are considered in the way cities are planned, designed and governed.
The Urban95 Academy Africa Programme is set to expand on the Foundation’s growing portfolio in Africa and is a strategic step in scaling Urban95 regionally. Since the Urban95 Academy launched in 2021, African cities have been some of the executive course’s most active and engaged participants. More than 300 urban leaders from 100 city teams across the continent have taken part. Past participants include municipal staff from Addis Ababa, Lusaka, Lagos, Kampala, Mombasa, Cape Town and many others.
This regional hub of the Urban95 Academy is based on the evidence-based curriculum of the Global and Latin America Programmes but also offer a more contextualised learning experience designed by and for African urban contexts. Through regional case studies, local faculty and peer learning, the programme will help reach more cities at scale while responding to the unique opportunities and challenges facing rapidly urbanising African communities.
“The Van Leer Foundation is scaling Urban95 to put care at the heart of how all cities are designed and governed. Expanding the Urban95 Academy to Africa, with our valued partners LSE Cities and the African Centre for Cities, is a major step forward in achieving this goal. It puts African city leadership at the centre, with local knowledge on building the villages of care that families depend on every day. We are excited to support a powerful and growing community shaping cities for young children and their caregivers.” Rushda Majeed, Chief Programme Officer at the Van Leer Foundation.
Applications for the inaugural Urban95 Academy Africa Programme are now open. The programme begins online in October 2026, with selected city teams invited to attend an in-person residency at the University of Cape Town in March 2027.
The initiative also creates a pathway for sharing lessons from the Van Leer Foundation’s direct Urban95 partnerships in Africa, including work with Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Lusaka and Chongwe (Zambia). By connecting city teams across the continent, the programme will inspire leadership and spread practical approaches that can accelerate impact for young children and their caregivers.
The programme begins online in October 2026 with selected city teams invited to attend an in-person residency at the University of Cape Town in March 2027. Apply by 24 September.
