What We Do
CUSI brings Somali expertise to the center of urban planning and recovery. Across these seven focus areas, we focus on what truly shapes how cities work — from mobility and housing to climate resilience and local governance.
What We Do
CUSI brings Somali expertise to the center of urban planning and recovery. Across these seven focus areas, we focus on what truly shapes how cities work — from mobility and housing to climate resilience and local governance.
Our Focus Areas
Our Focus Areas
Building on these pillars, CUSI works across seven critical areas that shape urban systems:
The City and the Urban Form
Shaping cities that work for people and restore the social fabric.
Somali cities are growing quickly, often without the governance systems needed to guide expansion. We focus on the foundations of urban life—how people move, how services reach neighbourhoods, how land is allocated, and how municipal institutions plan and manage resources. CUSI helps cities rethink transport, strengthen water, waste, and sanitation systems, and adopt fair land use and zoning that prevent conflict and protect public and green spaces. We also support municipal administrations to improve planning, budgeting, and accountability so urban growth is better managed and locally owned. Through digital mapping and smart-city tools, we make it easier for authorities and communities to see how their city works and shape safer, more inclusive urban environments.
The City and the Urban Form
Shaping cities that work for people and restore the social fabric.
Somali cities are growing quickly, often without the governance systems needed to guide expansion. We focus on the foundations of urban life—how people move, how services reach neighbourhoods, how land is allocated, and how municipal institutions plan and manage resources. CUSI helps cities rethink transport, strengthen water, waste, and sanitation systems, and adopt fair land use and zoning that prevent conflict and protect public and green spaces. We also support municipal administrations to improve planning, budgeting, and accountability so urban growth is better managed and locally owned. Through digital mapping and smart-city tools, we make it easier for authorities and communities to see how their city works and shape safer, more inclusive urban environments.
The City and the Urban Form
Shaping cities that work for people and restore the social fabric.
Somali cities are growing quickly, often without the governance systems needed to guide expansion. We focus on the foundations of urban life—how people move, how services reach neighbourhoods, how land is allocated, and how municipal institutions plan and manage resources. CUSI helps cities rethink transport, strengthen water, waste, and sanitation systems, and adopt fair land use and zoning that prevent conflict and protect public and green spaces. We also support municipal administrations to improve planning, budgeting, and accountability so urban growth is better managed and locally owned. Through digital mapping and smart-city tools, we make it easier for authorities and communities to see how their city works and shape safer, more inclusive urban environments.
Justice & Society
Making urban spaces fair, safe, and responsive to the people who live in them.
Justice & Society
Making urban spaces fair, safe, and responsive to the people who live in them.
Justice & Society
Making urban spaces fair, safe, and responsive to the people who live in them.
Climate & Environmental Resilience
Greening Somali cities and strengthening their resilience to a changing climate.
Climate & Environmental Resilience
Greening Somali cities and strengthening their resilience to a changing climate.
Climate & Environmental Resilience
Greening Somali cities and strengthening their resilience to a changing climate.
Urban Growth & Trade systems
Connecting city growth, trade systems, and the informal economy to fairer urban futures.
Urban Growth & Trade systems
Connecting city growth, trade systems, and the informal economy to fairer urban futures.
Urban Growth & Trade systems
Connecting city growth, trade systems, and the informal economy to fairer urban futures.
Pioneering new urban insights, tools, and planning models for Somalia’s future cities.
We develop innovative architectural concepts, ensuring each design is practical, aesthetically appealing, and built for longevity. From initial sketches to technical documentation, we create custom solutions tailored to your vision.
Pioneering new urban insights, tools, and planning models for Somalia’s future cities.
We develop innovative architectural concepts, ensuring each design is practical, aesthetically appealing, and built for longevity. From initial sketches to technical documentation, we create custom solutions tailored to your vision.
Pioneering new urban insights, tools, and planning models for Somalia’s future cities.
We develop innovative architectural concepts, ensuring each design is practical, aesthetically appealing, and built for longevity. From initial sketches to technical documentation, we create custom solutions tailored to your vision.
Durable solutions
Linking land, services, and rights to lasting solutions for displaced families.
Durable solutions
Linking land, services, and rights to lasting solutions for displaced families.
Durable solutions
Linking land, services, and rights to lasting solutions for displaced families.
Civic Life, Engagement & Urban Belonging
Rebuilding the social contract and giving residents the tools to shape their city.
Civic Life, Engagement & Urban Belonging
Rebuilding the social contract and giving residents the tools to shape their city.
Civic Life, Engagement & Urban Belonging
Rebuilding the social contract and giving residents the tools to shape their city.
Our Approach
Our Approach
A new way of building Somali cities — rooted in research, sharpened by innovation, strengthened by municipal systems, and shaped by the people who live in the city.
Urban Research & Policy Insight
We carry out grounded urban research that reveals how Somali cities function — land shifts, mobility patterns, service gaps, public space behaviour, and neighbourhood dynamics. These findings shape policy options, planning guidance, and urban strategies that are rooted in real city conditions, not assumptions.
Urban Research & Policy Insight
We carry out grounded urban research that reveals how Somali cities function — land shifts, mobility patterns, service gaps, public space behaviour, and neighbourhood dynamics. These findings shape policy options, planning guidance, and urban strategies that are rooted in real city conditions, not assumptions.
Urban Research & Policy Insight
We carry out grounded urban research that reveals how Somali cities function — land shifts, mobility patterns, service gaps, public space behaviour, and neighbourhood dynamics. These findings shape policy options, planning guidance, and urban strategies that are rooted in real city conditions, not assumptions.
Digital Innovation & Spatial Intelligence
We design innovative tools that give cities a clear view of themselves: digital maps, spatial diagnostics, planning dashboards, and prototypes that test new ideas. Innovation for us is practical — technology used to understand patterns, strengthen decisions, and spark new approaches to city-making.
Digital Innovation & Spatial Intelligence
We design innovative tools that give cities a clear view of themselves: digital maps, spatial diagnostics, planning dashboards, and prototypes that test new ideas. Innovation for us is practical — technology used to understand patterns, strengthen decisions, and spark new approaches to city-making.
Digital Innovation & Spatial Intelligence
We design innovative tools that give cities a clear view of themselves: digital maps, spatial diagnostics, planning dashboards, and prototypes that test new ideas. Innovation for us is practical — technology used to understand patterns, strengthen decisions, and spark new approaches to city-making.
Municipal Systems & City Management Support
We work directly with municipal teams to strengthen the core systems behind city management: land governance, service delivery, neighbourhood layouts, transport routes, revenue processes, and coordination across departments. Our role is to help cities organise themselves with clarity and operate with confidence.
Municipal Systems & City Management Support
We work directly with municipal teams to strengthen the core systems behind city management: land governance, service delivery, neighbourhood layouts, transport routes, revenue processes, and coordination across departments. Our role is to help cities organise themselves with clarity and operate with confidence.
Municipal Systems & City Management Support
We work directly with municipal teams to strengthen the core systems behind city management: land governance, service delivery, neighbourhood layouts, transport routes, revenue processes, and coordination across departments. Our role is to help cities organise themselves with clarity and operate with confidence.
Capacity Building & Stakeholder Coordination
We support public institutions, private actors, and local organisations to develop the skills needed for modern urban governance. This includes training in planning, surveying, GIS, transport analysis, climate adaptation, and data use — while improving coordination between government offices, utilities, civil society, and market actors.
Capacity Building & Stakeholder Coordination
We support public institutions, private actors, and local organisations to develop the skills needed for modern urban governance. This includes training in planning, surveying, GIS, transport analysis, climate adaptation, and data use — while improving coordination between government offices, utilities, civil society, and market actors.
Capacity Building & Stakeholder Coordination
We support public institutions, private actors, and local organisations to develop the skills needed for modern urban governance. This includes training in planning, surveying, GIS, transport analysis, climate adaptation, and data use — while improving coordination between government offices, utilities, civil society, and market actors.
Community Participation & Co-Creation
We design participatory processes that place communities at the centre of city-making. Through mapping walks, neighbourhood workshops, market conversations, and small urban experiments, we work with women, youth, traders, displaced families, and elders to shape solutions that reflect lived experience and strengthen public life.
Community Participation
We design participatory processes that place communities at the centre of city-making. Through mapping walks, neighbourhood workshops, market conversations, and small urban experiments, we work with women, youth, traders, displaced families, and elders to shape solutions that reflect lived experience and strengthen public life.
Community Participation & Co-Creation
We design participatory processes that place communities at the centre of city-making. Through mapping walks, neighbourhood workshops, market conversations, and small urban experiments, we work with women, youth, traders, displaced families, and elders to shape solutions that reflect lived experience and strengthen public life.
Join Us in Shaping
Somali Cities
The choices made today will define Somalia’s urban future. Partner with CUSI to build inclusive, resilient, and future-ready cities.
Join Us in Shaping
Somali Cities
The choices made today will define Somalia’s urban future. Partner with CUSI to build inclusive, resilient, and future-ready cities.
