Transitioning sustainable and digital cities & communities in Europe: policies, projects and perspectives

TIME

Thursday 21 September
15.45 – 17.15

TRACKS

Green Transition

Digital Transition

ORGANISER

Giacomo Lozzi (ENoLL)

LOCATION

Sala Àgora

DESCRIPTION

The European Commission cooperates with smart cities and communities to tackle local issues, improve the quality of services provided to citizens, and achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal.
 
This thematic session will focus on how living labs can contribute to the transition of European cities into smart and sustainable communities, and how they can support decision and policy-making. It will explore the initiatives and policies of the European Commission for Smart Cities and Communities and the Urban Transition Mission, and how they connect with living labs. Moreover, three projects will be presented and discussed, operating at different scales (strategic, steering, operational) to ensure a multi-level governance approach.
 
The Living-in.EU project is the most strategic initiative. It is a city-led collaborative platform that accelerates digital transformation using a citizen-centric approach, ethical and socially responsible data usage, co-creation with citizens, and open and interoperable standards. The second project, DS4SSCC, is part of it, and it is developing a coordinated approach to create a multi-stakeholder data governance scheme, a blueprint and a roadmap towards an EU Data Space for Smart Cities and Communities. The third project, CommuniCity, is active at the operational level, as it funds and co-creates 100 tech pilots that address the needs of marginalized communities in European cities.
 
A multi-level governance approach ensures a continuous top-down and bottom-up flow of information, where the strategic, steering, and operational levels work together to create a favorable environment for transition. On one hand, the policies, missions and movements created at the EU level support and amplify the initiatives at the local level, promoting a collaborative and inclusive approach. On the other hand, the lessons learned at the local level, tested with a living lab and co-creation approach, serve to inform EU policymaking. This ensures that policies are grounded in practical experience and supportive of local innovation.
 
This session will provide attendees with insights into the role of living labs in supporting the transition to smart and sustainable cities and communities, and the ways in which policies and initiatives at the EU level are informed by local innovation. The speakers will share their expertise on the initiatives and projects they are involved in and offer diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the field.

AGENDA

5′ Welcome and introduction of the speakers and topic (Giacomo Lozzi, ENoLL).
 
20′ The EC policy perspective on smart & sustainable cities and communities (European Commission).
 
10′ The ENoLL approach on transitioning cities through Living Labs (Martina Desole, ENoLL).
 
50′ Round table, discussion & questions from the audience. Moderated by Martina Desole, ENoLL
 
5′ Closing (Martina Desole, ENoLL).
 

Giacomo Lozzi

Senior Project Manager at ENoLL

Martina Desole

Director ENoLL

Dimitri Schuurman

PhD in innovation management in Living Labs from Ghent University (UGent) and the Free University of Brussels (VUB)

Federica Bordelot

Head of digital transformation at Eurocities.

Karl-Filip Coenegrachts

Chair of the Board of Directors and acting Executive Director of the international cities’ and communities network Open & Agile Smart Cities

Margit Noll

CEO of the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions