The 16 projects selected for funding of the ERA-NET Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities (EN-UTC) are starting! A kick-off event will be held on the 5th April 2022, and offer inspiration and opportunities for mutual exchange among the projects to enhance impact early on, and build a community of practice. In order to strengthen networking and community building, the AGORA Dialogue on the 6 th April, invites the EN-UTC projects, as well as a wider spectrum of interested urban stakeholders, to discuss critical factors for delivering transformative urban change. .
Time and place: 5–6 April, online (Zoom)
Purpose: The 16 national funding agencies, from 14 countries, in the call ERA-NET Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities (EN-UTC), have agreed on a list of 16 projects recommended for funding. These transnational innovation and research projects gather more than 200 researchers, cities and municipalities, businesses, civil society, as well as other stakeholders. The kick-off will be a day for inspiration, exciting discussions, and getting to know each other – followed by a second day with in-depth conversations and a wider spectrum of participants (the AGORA Dialogue).
Aim: The event will facilitate exchange and community building among the projects and their project partners, support measures for projects to strengthen communication and impact creation, and inform about formal requirements on monitoring and reporting, and guidelines and support activities. The event will also connect the EN-UTC projects to a wider stakeholder community.
For whom: Project coordinators and project partners are invited to the kick-off as well as the AGORA Dialogue. In order to build a multi-stakeholder community for the EN-UTC, project partners from municipalities, businesses, local communities and research are encouraged to participate in both events.
Registration: Registrations are open (scroll down).
Preparation: Projects for the EN-UTC kick-off event are to prepare for speed presentations for a maximum 90 seconds, focusing on the project’s main ambition and impact. More information for preparation will be provided shortly. Contact: Simon Boström, Formas, Sweden
Draft program (may be subject to changes)
EN-UTC Kick-off, April 5, 09.00–15.00 CEST (Stockholm – Paris time)
- 09.00 Welcome and introduction
Menti poll
Ugo Guarnacci, Project Adviser, European Commission (tbc)
The JPI Urban Europe initiative, Margit Noll, Chair of the JPI Urban Europe Management Board at FFG
- 10.00 Speed presentations, 16 projects
- 11.30 Panel discussion about the challenges of urban transformations
- 12.00 Lunch break
- 13.00 Break-out sessions (see below for registrations)
1. Urban Living Labs 2.0 – approaches, methods and how to get things started.
This session will bring together EN-UTC projects who are planning to use experimental, co-creative methods such as urban living labs. Besides an exchange on existing publication and resources that might be helpful for planning, maintaining and boosting the urban living labs, participants will have the chance to exchange on approaches, potential challenges and how to work around them.
2. How can public infrastructures be places of urban change and transformation for sustainable cities and communities?
This session aims at bringing together the EN-UTC project partners who focus on public urban infrastructure, like libraries, schools, and public space, as places of urban change and transformation for sustainable cities and communities – e.g. urban design for circular systems and the extension of gardens in European cities for social-ecological transformations. The session will involve discussions on how places of encounter could take on the challenges for sustainable cities and communities.
3. How can urban governments, researchers and citizens connect to enable participatory policy making and facilitate community-based developments towards urban transformation?
This session intends to address the EN-UTC project partners who work towards participatory policy making and local urban government by facilitating public engagement, thus creating opportunities for more collaborative government approaches. The session will involve discussions on how residents can be included in governmental and planning processes on a local scale, and on the challenges of conducting research into the dynamics between government authorities, citizens and other local stakeholders.
4. Raising awareness to accelerate urban transformations
This session aims at connecting the EN-UTC project partners who work towards increasing knowledge and engagement for a sustainable urban environment. The session will invite discussions on how to get target groups involved, and other efforts related, to raising awareness on sustainability and inspiring confidence to act for transformations of the urban environment, such as the development of a circular economy and nature-based solutions.
- 14.20 Previous learnings from JPI Urban Europe
- 14.40 Elena Simion, Call Secretariat, Information on monitoring and reporting
- 15.00 Open session for networking
AGORA Dialogue, April 6, 09.30-12.30 CEST (Stockholm – Paris time)
The AGORA Dialogue will build upon the EN-UTC projects and facilitate a dialogue between these and interested urban actors, change makers from research and innovation, local public administration, urban doers communities, SMEs, businesses, civil society associations, and others – to exchange on how urban transformative capacities can nurture change towards sustainable and liveable urban futures. ENUTC project partners are especially encouraged to join the AGORA Dialogue to exchange on how their projects will support urban change.
More information about the AGORA Dialogue can be found here.