A short story from our editor:
In 2018, I wrote a story for the Spanish newspaper El País about an initiative held in Berlin during the weekend that marks the liberation of the city from Nazi dictatorship. Every year, engaged Berliners open their homes to the public, allowing family members of victims of National Socialism (living in Germany and abroad) to connect with the addresses where their ancestors once lived.
A reader in Argentina, Claudia Samter, felt encouraged to reach out to the initiative’s team in Berlin for assistance in locating her family’s former address in Berlin. To her surprise, it turned out to be the initiative’s founder’s own home, where Claudia’s cousin, aunt, and great-aunt had lived before being deported to Auschwitz.
In 2019, Claudia traveled to Berlin, where she honored her family’s memory through photos and personal stories. I witnessed it. It deeply touched me. “I am incredibly grateful because, without your work, I may never have had the opportunity to meet Claudia,” the founder told me.
We don’t do journalism just for journalism. We strive to track the impact of our work, whether it is the connection of activists and organizations to strengthen their causes or the reversal of harmful city decisions. By demonstrating that our reporting truly serves the public, we also seek to restore people’s trust in journalism.
OUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS:
Established in 2019, we have published over 350 impactful media stories to energize new approaches to pressing urban issues.
- 35+ Cities Covered
- 350+ Bold Initiatives in Cities Reported
- 2 Networks of Action Launched
- 2 Events Organized in New York and Cairo
- 6 Partnerships with Organizations in Various Cities
SOME OF THE IMPACT STORIES BEHIND THE NUMBERS:
Environmental activist, Yayra Agbofah, gains support from city officials in Accra, Ghana.
Since 2018, through upcycling, repair, and skills training, the community-led initiative The Revival, founded by Yayra Agbofah, has redirected textile waste in the world’s biggest market of second-hand garments away from the shores and landfills of Accra. We covered the story in June, 2023.
In November 2024, The Urban Activist hosted an event at the World Urban Forum, organized by UN-HABITAT in Cairo, and gave the podium to Yayra Agbofah, along with other grassroots activists, to discuss how they are effectively addressing the growing waste issue while creating local jobs.
“The event organized by The Urban Activist at the World Urban Forum in Cairo was a meaningful moment, both in terms of the conversations we were able to bring forward about African realities and also the unexpected connections that followed. My encounter with the former Minister of State from Ghana during WUF12 and again on the flight back did lead to further conversations that opened doors to collaboration, visibility, and opportunities that have continued to shape parts of my work. Thank you to The Urban Activist for inviting me to the event and for the important work you are doing to keep all these stories alive.” — Yayra Agbofah, Founder of The Revival, Accra, Ghana.
In 2025, TIME Magazine recognized Yayra Agbofah’s impactful work.
Flower Bouquets for Palestinian Actors on the Red Carpet, Nablus, West Bank.
Our contributing writer spent 100% of the fee from writing a story about the official movie premiere in Palestine 36 in Nablus, in the West Bank, to purchase bouquets for all the Palestinian actors on the red carpet.
“It was a beneficial loop for the event to celebrate the talent with the written text, photos from The Urban Activist’s commissioned photographers who were at the event, and from the creative payment being used for flowers to give to them.” — Afaf, writer for The Urban Activist and founder of The Cultural Salon, Nablus, West Bank.
Yemeni street artist and peace activist, Haifa Subay, collaborates with the Nobel Women’s Initiative.
Haifa Subay’s advocacy for peace in Aden, Yemen, was elevated when the Nobel Women’s Initiative asked The Urban Activist to connect them with Haifa after reading our story. In 2022, they commissioned Haifa’s work and connected it to broader discussions about women, peace, and justice.
“I am very thankful for the role The Urban Activist plays in highlighting stories and voices that might not receive enough attention in traditional media. The story you published about my work has been very important to me as an artist and as a woman. As an artist who uses murals and public art to document the human cost of the war in Yemen, it was important to me that these messages reach beyond the streets and walls where the works first appeared. Your coverage helped bring these stories to a wider international audience and gave the work a new life beyond its original location. I am grateful for this coverage because it has reinforced my belief that art and journalism together can play a vital role in raising awareness of human rights issues and telling the stories of communities affected by war.” — Street artist and peace activist, Haifa Subay, Aden, Yemen (currently based in the US).
NETWORKS OF ACTION
We are exploring ways to achieve tangible impact and measurable results through two series of articles we launched in 2025 that could metamorphose into networks of action: One series focuses on individuals involved in grassroots wildlife conservation in urban areas, while the other aims to bridge the gap between researchers, policymakers, government officials, and grassroots organizations addressing the housing crisis. Stay tuned for more updates.
