From October 18th- 20th 2023, NODES’ researchers Inian Moorthy and Gerid Hager will showcase the IIASA-led Urban ReLeaf project at the European Urban Resilience Forum in Cascais, Portugal. They will launch a Community of Practice to bring together public authorities, urban planners and other key stakeholders to design citizen-centric urban greening actions and address wider policy making processes in pursuit of urban climate resilience.
Since its launch in 2013, the European Urban Resilience Forum has served as a platform for city representatives, stakeholders and experts to share strategies and actions for adapting to climate change and building urban resilience. The Forum is a European initiative led by ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and the European Environment Agency (EEA), while being co-organised by the City of Cascais for the 2023 edition. This year’s event marks its tenth anniversary and is dedicated to answering the following question “What is needed to help local and regional governments address resilience challenges towards 2030 and beyond?”
The focus of the European Urban Resilience Forum clearly overlaps with the priorities of the Horizon Europe-financed Urban ReLeaf project (2023-2026), coordinated by NODES. Urban ReLeaf is committed to promoting citizen-powered data ecosystems within climate change adaptation and green infrastructure planning in urban environments. In this context, it emphasizes community placemaking, public sector innovation, and tailored strategies to reach its common goal of creating greener, more just, and resilient cities for all. Considering the project’s close cooperation with European cities through its 6 pilot cities (Athens, Cascais, Dundee, Mannheim, Riga and Utrecht) as well as the involvement of ICLEI as the Work Package lead on “Accelerating the uptake of citizen science for decision-making”, the Forum is an attractive space for sharing information on its undertakings as well as strengthening its network among key actors.
The October 18th session will cover “AI and data-driven climate innovation for more smart and resilient cities”. It strives to bring together local governments, practitioners, and experts to shed light on how Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies can drive climate action and resilience efforts in cities. As part of the session, participants will discover how cities are harnessing innovative projects that integrate new data sources, cutting-edge technologies, and strategic partnerships to build resources for a deeper understanding of the urban environment, climate change impacts, and facilitate faster responses in our ever-changing world. Dr. Viola Marx, Sustainability & Climate Change Officer, Dundee City Council and pilot city representative of Urban ReLeaf, will be a speaker at the session, which was conceptualized with the support of NODES’ researchers Inian Moorthy and Gerid Hager.
The October 19th session, entitled “Building a Community of Practice for inclusive and sustainable urban green transitions through citizen-powered science” will be embedded into the NOVA SBE Campus for Urban Decarbonization site visit. The session will entail an interactive workshop during which participants will focus on three topics namely: foresight scenario planning, public sector innovation and monitoring of the European Green Deal and SDGs. Both Inian Moorthy and Gerid Hager will act as speakers during the workshop, shedding light on the key aspects of Urban ReLeaf.
The event also serves the purpose of launching the Urban ReLeaf Community of Practice (CoP), which will strive to enhance the project’s visibility, strengthen mutual learning and promote inclusive green transitions beyond the consortium.
The 2023 edition of the Marketplace will host numerous stands from various exhibitors, including short project pitches, climate resilience assessments, decision support tools as well as promotional materials. On October 18th and 20th, Urban ReLeaf will run a marketplace stand, which will allow project staff to introduce the project to interested parties and also invite attendees to become part of the CoP.
Upcoming Events
Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Ignaz-Seipel-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna