Close to 500 participants from 40 countries joined the conferencce and listened to panel discussions with representatives from among others cities, regions, the EU Green Deal and the Leipzig charter. The Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) and its three pillars; Positive Energy Districts and Neighbourhoods, the 15 minutes City and Downsizing District Doughnuts were presented and participants joined breakout sessions of their choice to define upcoming years priorities and challenges within each pillar area.

Participants were also encouraged to contribute with their comments and recommendations to a Concept Board that is still open – please visit it to get a better understanding of each pillar and let us know what you think by adding post its on the message board! Go to Concept board.  You can now take part of all the sessions and presentations from the day below.

Plenary sessions and keynote addresses: 

• Welcome address
  Opening of the conference by the moderator of the day, James Mawson, followed by a welcome and introduction by Margit Noll, Chair of the JPI Urban Europe Management Board and Mari Solerød, Chair of the JPI Urban Europe Governing Board
• Keynote address. Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation,DG RTD European Commission
• The urban story in a globalized policy agendas world
  This first session of the day will set the scene with a view to issues and concerns in the wake of international policies such as the EU Green Deal, the Urban Agenda for the EU and the Leipzig Charter. Representatives from these initiatives will be invited to discuss how sustainable urban development contributes to global policies, how to connect the SDGs with the urban dimensions in theses agendas and how to join forces to drive urban transitions. The session includes 10 minutes interviews with each panellist followed by a 20 minutes debate with all panellists.                            
  • Interview with Anna Lisa Boni, Member of the Mission Board for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Secretary General Eurocities,
    Interview with Eoghan Kinirons, Policy Officer for the European Green Deal,Directorate-General Research and Innovation, Unit C5 – Ecological & Social Transitions,
    Interview with Miquel Rodriguez Planas, Commissioner of 2030 Agenda, Barcelona City Council,
    Interview with Tilman Buchholz, Deputy Head of the Unit Urban Development Policy, German Federal ministry for the interior building and community,
    Debate with all panelists 

•  The role of neighbourhoods, towns, municipalities and cities in urban transitions 
  The conference’s second session will focus on cities: what do cities need and what do partnerships, organisations and  networks need to get right in order to support them? City representatives from across Europe will discuss issues such as how we can join efforts to build capacities and mobilise cities in research & innovation, and what we can do to speed up the transformation and support co-creation..  The session includes 10 minutes interviews with each panellist followed by a 20 minutes debate with all panellists. 
  • Interview with Caroline Nevejan, Chief Science Officer with the City of Amsterdam,
    Interview with Inga Bērziņa Mayor of Kuldiga, Latvia,
    Interview with Mikael Jansson, Director, North Sweden European Office,
    Debate with all panellists
    • Presentation Caroline Nevejan

• Inspirational speech: Have we reached peak city? Professor Greg Clark, Global Advisor on Future Cities
  The program finishes with a keynote from Greg Clark. Greg’s core role as Senior Advisor on Future Cities and New Industries at HSBC Group covers future urbanisation, mobility, digital transformation, sustainable development, and impact investing and he supports leaders in more than 300 cities world-wide on strategic futures. Further, Greg Clark is guest urban expert on the BBC World Service series My Perfect City.
  In his keynote speech, Greg looks at European cities from a global context – as the world is becoming more and more urbanised, what makes European cities stand out and why is it that they matter more now than ever before?
  • Presentation Greg Clark
• Final words from Mari Solerød, Chair of the JPI Urban Europe Governing Board

About the Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) Partnership: 

• Presentation of the Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) Partnership. Margit Noll, Chair of the JPI Urban Europe Management Board  
  As part of the preparation of the next European Research and Innovation Framework Programme – Horizon Europe – new mechanisms for public-public partnerships are under development. One of the candidates for such a European partnership is Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT).  This partnership builds upon the achievements of JPI Urban Europe and aims to strengthen our joint efforts towards sustainable urban development and bringing knowledge and evidence into action.
  • Presentation DUT Partnership
• Introduction to the three partnership pillars: Positive Energy Districts and Neighbourhoods, the 15 minutes City and Downsizing District Doughnuts
  • Presentation the three partnership pillars
• Breakout group 1: 100 Positive Energy Districts and Neighbourhoods – transforming the urban energy system
• Breakout group II: The 15 minutes City – rethinking the urban mobility system and space
• Breakout group III: Downsizing District Doughnuts – An integrated approach for urban greening and circularity transitions   
• Summary from the breakout sessions

>> Learn more about the DUT Partnership

Exhibition area

Projects supported by JPI Urban Europe and organisations from our Stakeholder Involvement Platform (AGORA) where invited to display their work and network at the exhibition area (meeting rooms).

>> JPI Urban Europe supported projects are available in the project database

For any questions concerning the policy conference, please contact: 
Klara Broms Seving, Communication Officer, klara.broms.seving@jpi-urbaneurope.eu