The ACC is part of an international network of cities (Gothenburg, Sweden; Manchester, UK; Shanghai, China; Kisumu, Kenya; Cape Town, South Africa) where efforts are underway to understand and direct urban sustainability better through innovative knowledge-sharing practices. The programme is funded through and managed by Mistra Urban Futures (MUF) headquartered at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. The emphasis in the programme is on joint production of practical knowledge by academics in urban disciplines, by urban planners and practitioners, by NGOs, and by members of civil society. 

The ACC has used generous MUF funding to subvent staff salaries and student bursaries, to refurbish our offices into effective work spaces, and to support our work in the CityLabs, in book publication, in production of the 2011 SA Cities Conference, in participation at other conferences such as COP17 in Durban, and in a new programme of embedding doctoral specialist researchers in the City of Cape Town. This extensive support reflects how MUF's principal themes of Green, Fair and Dense permeate our work.

The partners meet regularly to review instititutional progress and practical impacts.