When Transfer Becomes Translation
How EmPowerIngUs proves that transferring a good practice is about interpretation, experimentation, and local choice — not replication.
When cities decide to transfer a good practice, the expectation is often simple: find what works elsewhere and replicate it. Yet anyone involved in urban policy knows that this rarely happens in a straightforward way. What looks like a clear model on paper quickly meets local realities shaped by institutions, data availability, professional cultures, political priorities, and – most importantly – people. Or, as I like to say from personal experience: “Life happens!”
