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Recap of UTC Urban Lab Session “Championing Local Green Deals”

Recap of Urban Lab Session “Championing Local Green Deals” 

July 21, 2021

ISOCARP Institute has organised and coordinated the Urban Lab Session “Championing Local Green Deals”, as part of the Urban Thinker Campus “A Local Green Deal” organised by the city of Mannehim (Germany). The session took place online on Friday 16th July 2021. 

Through the European Green Deals, the European Union has set the ambitious target of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.  The European Green Deal includes various actions, measures and tools in nine policy areas (such as clean energy, sustainable mobility, biodiversity, etc.). However, it is crucial to transform the direction given by the Green Deal into local actionable projects and concrete interventions. The session collected and discussed valuable practices and experiences in the implementation of Local Green Deals.

  

In his keynote presentation, Martin Knuijt (OKRA) reflected on how to design healthier and resilient cities. By presenting some of his work in different urban contexts, he emphasized the importance of preserving biodiversity, connecting places to increase social cohesion, and designing adaptive infrastructure, especially when it comes to water management. This is only possible through integrated and holistic solutions, able to meet citizens’ needs and generate their enthusiasm.    

Afterwards, the session continued with a series of contributors from city representatives and experts from different background. Elsa Durieux (ICLEI) framed the discussion around the European Green Deals as new approach to accelerate and scale-up cities’ sustainability ambitions, discussing the main challenges and barriers; she also introduced the Local Green Deals Blueprint for Action. Nicolas Gharbi (city of Madrid) presented the case of the metropolitan forest of Madrid, the flagship project for the recovery plan of the city; the forest will be a 75 km ring infrastructure connecting existing green spaces around Madrid. Valentina D’Alonzo (EURAC) gave an overview of H2020 project VARCITIES, and its holistic approach in developing visionary solutions which link nature-based solutions, urban health, public spaces and smart cities. Elisa Torricelli (city of Milan) brought the experience of the city of Milan, showing the work of the Environmental Transition Department in developing local plans and initiatives to increase urban resilience.  

 

Beside inviting some speakers, ISOCARP Institute opened a Call for Contributors to collect experiences from different countries and to ensure a truly international perspective. Sevval Cavusoglu brought her experience from Turkey and reminded the importance of decision support systems for low-carbon city projects. Bhagyashri Kulkarni reflected on bottom-up and participatory practices to manage green public spaces in collaboration with citizens, beyond traditional public-private partnerships. Joana Bispo introduced the Sustainable Development Strategy of the city of Teresina (Brasil) and presented some specific projects, highlighting also the monitoring of SDGs at the local level.  

Milena Ivkovic moderated the last part of the session, with questions and answers and the closing remarks. 

 

Speakers, Contributors and presentations

Keynote Speaker
Martin Knuijt – OKRA

Topic: Adaptive urban design

 

Elsa Durieux – ICLEI

Topic: Local Green & Social Deals: why should cities and towns take the lead?

 

Nicolas Gharbi – City of Madrid

Topic: Madrid metropolitan and local green strategy

 

Joana Bispo– City of Teresina (Brazil)

Topic: Teresina 2030 – Sustainable Development Strategy of the Municipality of Teresina

 

Valentina D’Alonzo – EURAC and VARCITIES 

Topic: VARCITIES – Visionary Nature-based Actions for Health, Well-Being and Resilience in Cities 

 

Bhagyashri Kulkarni – Architect, Urban Designer (India) 

Topic: A regulation to manage and mantain the open public spaces in collaboration with the citizens/community

 

Sevval Cavusoglu– Urban Planner and Junior Expert (Turkey)

Topic: Developing Decision Support Systems for low-carbon city projects including Green Bonds Financing Framework

 

Elisa Torricelli – City of Milan 

Topic: A green and resilient Milan

Programme 

  • 09.30 – 09.35   
    Introduction | ISOCARP Institute
  • 09.35 – 09.50   
    Keynote speaker presentation | Martin Knuijt, OKRA  
  • 09.50 – 10.40
    Call for Contributors: share your story!
    Elsa Durieux, ICLEI
    Nicolas Gharbi, Municipality of Madrid
    Joana Bispo, Municipality of Teresina
    Valentina D’Alonzo, EURAC & VARCITIES project
    Bhagyshri Kulkarni, architect and urban designer (India)
    Sevval Cavusoglu, urban planner (Turkey)
    Elisa Torricelli, Municipality of Milan
  • 10.45 – 10.55
    Discussion | Local actions for Green Deals
    Moderated by Milena Ivkovic
  • 10.55 – 11.00
    Recap and closing | ISOCARP Institute
 
 
 
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions.
 

210707_JUSTNature_general map

Upcoming EU funded research project JUSTNature

Upcoming EU funded project – JUSTNature   

July 7, 2021

ISOCARP Institute is proud to announce that the European Commission has signed the grant agreement for the EU funded project JUSTNature. ISOCARP Institute is part of the consortium which will implement the project, starting from 1st September 2021 until February 2026, together with other 18 partners and under the lead of EURAC.

The overall objective of JUSTNature is the activation of Nature-based Solutions, by ensuring a just transition to low-carbon cities, based on the principle of the right to ecological space.  JUSTNature represents the Institute’s third project on NBS in less than five years, strengthening its international reputation and expertise on the topic. The work of the Institute is consistent with ISOCARP’s vision of promoting inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities, and of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

JUSTNature – Activation of NATURE-based solutions for a JUST low-carbon transition    

Cities are major energy consumers and significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They have a high density of socio-economic activities and a built environment design that enhance these issues. In this regard, especially developed cities can be exemplars in leading the way towards a low-carbon society, and turning it into an opportunity as recently iterated by the European Green Deal. Such advances can address several other challenges arising from urbanisation and structural socio-economic changes. Cities represent a complex setting, where low income populations are more exposed to environmental ills, environmental and climate impacts are not distributed evenly, environmental qualities are becoming increasingly exclusive to high-income households, and wealthier neighbourhoods are more biologically diverse than others. Debates on these inequities have gained further traction linked to the recent spread of SARS-CoV-2, leading to discussions on the future pathway of economic and social development due to the social and economic disruptions caused by the physical distancing and lockdown measures.

In this regard, the overall objective of JUSTNature is the activation of nature-based solutions (NbS) by ensuring a just transition to low-carbon cities, based on the principle of the right to ecological space. This in particular refers to the right to clean air and indoor/outdoor thermal comfort for human health and well-being, as well as thriving biodiversity and ecosystems. It also refers to the duty of not constraining the ecological space of others, in particular in relation to the mitigation of climate change and measures required for reducing GHG emissions. JUSTNature will contribute to this vision of shaping low-carbon cities by developing a set of typical Low carbon | High air quality NbS in seven European city practice labs. By activating their just implementation, it will drive the co-design, co-creation and co-decision of supporting interventions with regard to four innovation dimensions: 1) enabling effective governance, 2) enabling NbS system maintenance and operation, 3) enabling innovative business models and market design, and 4) enabling efficient technologies and applications.

The seven European City Practice Labs are: Bolzano-Merano (Italy), Chania (Greece), Gzira (Malta), Leuven (Belgium), Munich (Germany) and Szombathely (Hungary).  

 

 

Keywords: Nature-based solutions, low/zero carbon communities, climate change mitigation & adaptation, ecological space, environmental justice, air quality, ICT solutions, big data, policy & governance, urban design.  

 

Within the consortium, ISOCARP Institute will implement various communication and dissemination activities, and it will support cross-learning activities between municipalities. Furthermore, the Institute will deliver a report on good practices for the co-governance of nature-based solutions.
A preliminary Consortium meeting will take place on 12th July, while the kick-off meeting will be help in September 2021.

 

This project will receive funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme. Call H2020-LC–CLA-2020 Innovative nature-based solutions for carbon neutral cities and improved air quality.

 

 

Do not hesitate to contact us for any question or further information.

 

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Urban Lab Session “Championing Local Green Deals” (16th July 2021)

Urban Lab 1 “Championing Local Green Deals” 

July 16, 2021

The Urban Lab Session “Championing Local Green Deals” will take place online on 16th July, 9.30-11.00 CEST. The event is coordinated by ISOCARP Institute and it is part of the 3-day Urban Thinker Campus “A Local Green Deal”, organised by Studieninstitut Rhein-Neckar (Mannheim, Germany).

Through the European Green Deal, the European Union has set the ambitious target of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.  The European Green Deal includes various actions, measures and tools in nine policy areas (such as clean energy, sustainable mobility, biodiversity, etc.). However, it is crucial to transform the direction given by the Green Deal into local actionable projects and concrete interventions. Following Mannheim’s input and effort to develop a Local Green Deal Mannheim, this Urban Lab Session will collect and discuss valuable practices and experiences in the implementation of Local Green Deals.

Register here!

NOTE: You will register on the official website of the UTC Mannheim and you will receive a confirmation e-mail from the organising team. The link to our session (URBAN LAB 1) will be available on the day itself on the official website. 

The livestream of the event will be available here. 

This Urban Lab Session aims at reflecting on actionable and short-term interventions which foster the implementation of Local Green Deals. The programme will start with brief presentations to inspire the audience and provide exemplary experiences and approaches at different urban scales and from different contexts. Moreover, ISOCARP Institute is launching a Call for Contributors, where city representatives, practitioners, industry partners or community members can share their stories and suggest possible solutions. 

The session is intended to be as interactive as possible. Speakers will answer questions and will discuss with the participants.

Programme

  • 09.30 – 09.35   
    Introduction | ISOCARP Institute
  • 09.35 – 09.50   
    Keynote speaker presentation | Martin Knuijt, OKRA  
  • 09.50 – 10.40
    Call for Contributors: share your story!
    Elsa Durieux, ICLEI
    Nicolas Gharbi, Municipality of Madrid
    Joana Bispo, Municipality of Teresina
    Valentina D’Alonzo, EURAC & VARCITIES project
    Bhagyshri Kulkarni, architect and urban designer (India)
    Sevval Cavusoglu, urban planner (Turkey)
    Elisa Torricelli, Municipality of Milan
  • 10.45 – 10.55
    Discussion | Local actions for Green Deals
    Moderated by Milena Ivkovic
  • 10.55 – 11.00
    Recap and closing | ISOCARP Institute
  •  
* Since we are receving many contributions, we have slightly adapted the schedule of the session. Instead of having a working group in the second part, we would like to leave the floor to our contributors. For this reason, the planned working group will be replaced by a shorted plenary discussion. Participants are welcome to ask question and actively participate in the debate. 

Call for contributors!

Are you a city representative or a practitioner and would like to present your projects on implementing Local Green Deals? Are you an industry partner who has been working on new solutions/products? Or are you a member of a community who would like to share your experience on sustainable actions? Then we would like to listen to your story! You are invited to submit initiavies, actions, strategies and proposals and discuss them during our Urban Session Lab. 

Would you like to contribute but you cannot attend the session? No problem! Contact us and submit a short recorded video. We will be happy to share it.

Applications for Contributors closed

For any questions or further information regarding the Urban Lab Session, please contact Federico Aili (aili@isocarp-institute.org).

201207_ISOCARP Institute Session-02

ISOCARP Congress – Institute Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Services and Public Value”

ISOCARP Congress – Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Urban Services and Public Value”

201207_ISOCARP Institute Session-02

One of the main activities of ISOCARP is the organisation of the annual World Planning Congress which focuses on a planning theme of foremost international interest. Attended by some 500-750 delegates, ISOCARP World Planning Congresses are small enough for a personal interchange of ideas on a given theme, yet big enough to encompass a broad professional and international range. The Congresses are open to ISOCARP Members, but our Society warmly welcomes non-members (individuals, parties or organisations). The Congress provides a platform for establishing professional as well as personal contacts with colleagues from all around the world.

The 56th ISOCARP World Planning Congress “Post-Oil City. Planning for Urban Green Deals” is held virtually from 8 November 2020 to 4 February 2021. ISOCARP Institute is proud to host the Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Urban Services and Public Value ” on 9 December 2020, 1.30 pm CET.

The session will reflect on how cities can support the ecological transition by providing more sustainable urban services (i.e. energy, health, mobility, etc.) and improving the quality of life of citizens. This session is relevant especially for those cities which are introducing smart and green pilot projects in their local contexts, and seek for collaboration with local communities and actors to achieve a successful implementation. Direct experiences from the EU projects where ISOCARP Institute is involved will be presented.  

Full programme

Format of the session 

The session is conceived to be as much as possible engaging and interactive. The keynote speaker presentation will provide meaningful insights and inspire the rest of the session. The presentation of two projects where ISOCARP Institute is involved are meant to encourage the debate and the comparison with other projects and local initiatives. The third part of the session is entirely dedicated to the exchange of ideas and experiences, supported by engaging online tools. 

Programme 

  • 13.30 – 13.40 | ISOCARP Institute introduction

    13.40 – 14.00 | Keynote Presentation: Assembling sustainable smart city transitions 
                              Luca Mora, Professor of Urban Innovation, Business School of Edinburgh Napier University

    14.00 – 14.10 | Q&A Session

    14.10 – 14.25 | ISOCARP Institute projects presentation: (+CityxChange, VARCITIES)
                             Dirk Ahlers, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (for +CityxChange)
                             Denia Koloktsa, Professor (Associate) of Technical University of Crete (for VARCITIES)
                             Pietro Elisei, President-elect ISOCARP

    14.25 – 14.55 | Online Workshop  (discussion, sharing experiences, team brainstorming)

    14.55 – 15.00 | Closing

  •  

Moderators

  • Didier Vancutsem – Director of ISOCARP Institute
  • Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute

Keynote Speaker 

Luca is an Associate Professor of Urban Innovation at the Business School of Edinburgh Napier University, where he is also leading the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Subject Group. Luca is also Professor of Urban Innovation at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), where he is collaborating in delivering the €32 million Horizon 2020 project FinEst Twins. Over the course of his professional career, Luca has committed himself to improving the quality of knowledge production and dissemination processes related to urban and regional innovation management in the digital era. His research is interdisciplinary in nature and links urban studies, innovation studies and computer science. Luca’s main research interests include: technology-driven urban and regional innovation dynamics; technology-driven urban sustainability processes; smart city development projects and strategies; Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3); and strategic planning for smart cities and RIS3. Luca is offering a strong support to the emerging scientific and technical developments of urban and regional innovation management. He has a sustained track-record of producing high-quality publication outputs and has contributed to delivery several research and consultancy projects, mainly supported by EU funding schemes (7FP, Horizon 2020). These projects have resulted in the production of new knowledge and innovative products and processes which are helping industry, government, universities and civil society to exploit their collective intelligence and generate the collaborate ecosystems required for developing smart environments that enable urban infrastructure to operate in a more sustainable manner.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

 

homepage varcities website

Green Cities are Healthier Cities: discover VARCITIES project

Green Cities are Healthier Cities: discover VARCITIES project 

The new Horizon 2020 funded project VARCITIES (Visionary Nature-based Actions for Health, Well-being and Resilience in Cities) has officially started on 1st September 2020. ISOCARP Institute is part of a consortium of 25 partners, including 8 Pilot Cities and under the lead of Telecommunication System Institute (Technical University of Crete).

The vision of VARCITIES is to implement nature-based actions in cities and establish sustainable models for increasing the health and well-being of citizens exposed to different climatic condition and challenges. The project will last until February 2025. 

The kick-off meeting took place online on 9-11 September 2020 and now the partners are implementing the first actions and deliverables.

Are you interested or actively engaged in shaping a healthier and sustainable future for your city? Then visit the project website to discover more about VARCITIES and follow it on social media! 

For any question or information regarding VARCITIES, please contact contact@varcities.eu or aili@isocarp-institute.org

Visit the website
UTC nature-based solutions and green public spaces for Health and resilience

Recap of Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

Recap of Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

October 26, 2020

On Wednesday 14 October, ISOCARP Institute hosted the Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”. The event was organised in collaboration with the ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health (CoPUH) and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), as a first activity within their new collaboration partnership. The UTC session brought together international experts and thought leaders providing an overview over public spaces, nature-based solutions, and their potential for urban health and in the current Covid-19 crisis. 

In his keynote speech, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen demonstrated how green spaces are essential to an healthy urban living, bringing tangible evidence of several studies and researches, and presenting interesting case studies.  

During the First Panel Discussion, Laura Petrella reflected on the work of Un-Habitat and its agenda, highlighting the importance of nature-based solutions and public spaces, and the need to design adaptable solutions to local contexts. Cecilia Vaca Jones brought the perspective of the children, presenting the critical challenges and needs for their health, in particular during the current pandemic. Thiago Hérick de Sa focused on the necessity to bring the community of planners and health together, presenting the latest Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”.

The Second Panel Discussion focused on concrete experiences of implemented projects of green public spaces in different local contexts. Uta Christine Dietrich brought the experience of ThinkCity in South-East Asia, highlighting the issue of justice and distribution of green spaces in cities. Nathan Iyer reflected on his experience in South Africa and on the role of public spaces and nature as critical infrastructure in the urban environment. Nabi Agzamov presented some of the work made by Strelka in Russia, focusing on the most critical local challenges for urban health and possible interventions through green public spaces.

Takeaway messages

  1. Greening cities provides multiple healthy benefits (such as longer life expectancy, less mental health problems, better cognitive functions, etc..) and mitigate air pollution, heat and noise level.
  2. Public spaces, nature and landscape are essential infrastructure for healthcare, resilience, regeneration and local economy.
  3. Public spaces designed through nature-based solutions and green infrastructures promote environmental and social resilience, and contribute to address systemic poverty and inequalities in cities. 
  4. The distribution of sufficient green spaces in cities is a critical issue of justice and equality. Adequate targets and indicators can monitor and support it.
  5. Children deserve a special attention and a health environment since the beginning, with attention to quality and proximity in neighborhood planning. 
  6. Multi-sectorial approaches are needed to address health issues, articulating the links between health and urbanisation.  
  7. Health is a priority pillar for the post Covid-19 recovery and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Speakers and presentations

Keynote Speaker
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen – ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Topic: Green public spaces as pathway for healthy living

 

Laura Petrella – Un-Habitat

Topic: Nature-based Solutions to “Post Covid-19” urbanization challenges

 

Cecilia Vaca Jones – Bernard van Leer Foundation

Topic: Urban 95, Urban Health, Urban resilience

 

Thiago Hérick de Sá – World Health Organization (WHO)

Topic: Presentation Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”

 

Uta Christine Dietrich – ThinkCity

Topic: Green Public Spaces: A Tonic for Health, Justice & Resilience

 

Nathan Iyer – IYER – Planning, Urban Design & Architecture

Topic: IYER – NBS & Open Space

 

 

Nabi Agzamov – STRELKA KB

Topic: Landscape as Healthcare infrastructure

Programme 

  • Introduction ad presentation speakers | 10 min.
  • Keynote speaker presentation | 20 min.
  • Q&A with audience | 10 min.
  • Panel discussion with Guest Experts | 40 min.
  • Q&A with audience | 20 min.
  • Closing | 10 min.
 
Moderators
  • Jo Ivey Boufford – International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
  • Jens Aerts – Bureau of Urbanism
  • Elisabeth Belpaire – ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health
  • Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute
  •  
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions.
 

UTC NBS and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience

Urban Thinkers Campus ‘Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience’

Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

October 7, 2020

Join us on Wednesday, 14th of October at 12 UTC (14.00 CEST) at the Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”. The event is organised by ISOCARP Institute, in collaboration with the ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health (CoPUH) and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), as a first activity within their new collaboration partnership.

This UTC session will bring together international experts and thought leaders providing an overview over public spaces, nature-based solutions and their potential for urban health and in the current Covid-19 crisis. In particular, the session will highlight the strong interrelations between health and urban environment, and it will give voice to some organisations wand cities who are actively participating in innovative resilience and health strategies.

The session will last for 120 min and it will be as much as possible interactive and inclusive. After an inspiring keynote speech, there will be a panel discussion with other international experts and questions from the audience. Participants are welcomed to raise their voice and contribute to the discussion. 

The event will take place online on Zoom. Registration is free but required.

Registration closed

Speakers

Keynote Speaker
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen – ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Topic: Green public spaces as pathway for healthy living

 

Laura Petrella – Un-Habitat

Topic: Nature-based Solutions

 

Cecilia Vaca Jones – Bernard van Leer Foundation

Topic: Urban 95, Urban Health, Urban resilience

Thiago Hérick de Sá – World Health Organization (WHO)

Topic: Presentation Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”

Uta Christine Dietrich – ThinkCity

Topic: Green Public Spaces: A Tonic for Health, Justice & Resilience

 

Nathan Iyer – IYER – Planning, Urban Design & Architecture

Topic: “Big to small – Public Spaces as essential infrastructure”

 

Nabi Agzamov – STRELKA KB

Topic: Landscape as Healthcare infrastructure

Programme 

  • Introduction ad presentation speakers | 10 min.
  • Keynote speaker presentation | 20 min.
  • Q&A with audience | 10 min.
  • Panel discussion with Guest Experts | 40 min.
  • Q&A with audience | 20 min.
  • Closing | 10 min.
 
Moderators
  • Jo Ivey Boufford – International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
  • Jens Aerts – Bureau of Urbanism
  • Elisabeth Belpaire – ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health
  • Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute
 
 
 
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions