Workshop 'Transitioning towards sustainable European cities: a law and governance perspective' (webinar)

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In Europe, the EU Green Deal is promoting the transition to climate neutral and smart cities. Yet, questions remain as to how this can be achieved within the existing multi-level and institutional framework. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to attend to urban inequality, ensuring that solutions are not only sustainable and smart, but also inclusive.

Taking stock of the latest developments across the world of science and practice, this workshop brings together legal and governance scholars to offer a fresh perspective on the transition to sustainable, as well as smart and inclusive European cities.

INFO

Cities are critical spaces to meeting the EU's climate and energy objectives. While they occupy just 2% of land, they host almost 75% of EU citizens and are responsible for about 70% of CO2 emissions in the EU. European cities are already at the forefront of promoting sustainable solutions.

Many cities have already engaged in initiatives to, for instance, stimulate energy neutral housing or reduce emissions from transportation, or ‘smarten’ their city. The COVID-19 pandemic is only further accelerating this trend, prompting cities to repurpose public spaces, for instance, constructing new bike lanes.

The transition towards a sustainable city represents a highly complex process that city governments cannot achieve by themselves, in splendid isolation. Vertically, cooperation and coordination need to be established across levels of governance, from the local to the global. Horizontally, instruments and mechanisms must be devised to encourage the involvement of citizens and business, as well as to work in an integrative way beyond sectoral borders and administrative silos.

Programme on Monday 7 June

13.00 Welcome & Introduction to the workshop
13.15 Keynote by Mr. Franc Bogovič (European Parliament)
14.00 Coffee Break
14.15

PANEL 1: PROMOTING THE GREEN TRANSITION IN A MULTI-LEVEL SETTING

 

Chair: Dr. Maja Brkan (Maastricht University)

 
  • Towards Climate Neutral European Cities: Strengthening Accountability in Global Governance by Dr. Cathrin Zengerling (University of Freiburg)
 
  • The influence of EU law on cities’ environmental strategies by Prof. Josephine Van Zeben (Wageningen University)
 
  • How cities EU cities deal with environmental risks in a multi-level context by Dr. Charlotte Halpern (Sciences Po Paris)
 

Discussant: Dr. Phillip Paiement (Tilburg University)

16.00 Coffee Break
16.15 PANEL 2: INVOLVING CITIZENS IN THE GREEN URBAN TRANSITION
 

Chair: Dr. Carlo Colombo (Maastricht University)

 
  • Integrated approaches to climate adaptation planning in European Cities by Dr. Angela van der Berg (Leiden University)
 
  • The ‘citizen sensing paradigm’ to face urban inequality: lessons from a pilot study of civic environmental monitoring in Rome by Dr. Anna Berti Suman (Tilburg University)
 

Discussant: Prof. Martijn Groenleer (Tilburg University)

17.30 End of day 1

 

Programme on Tuesday 8 June

08.45 Keynote Speech "Delivering on fragile achievements? The global urban governance of sustainability in a year of crises" by Prof. Michele Acuto (Melbourne University)
09.30 Coffee Break
09.45 PANEL 3: DEALING WITH COMPLEXITY IN URBAN GREEN TRANSITION
 

Chair: Dr. Marc Dijk (Maastricht University)

 
  • The elephant in the urban climate governance room: How to scale? by Prof. Jeroen van der Heijden (University of Wellington)
 
  • Smart intermediaries mainstreaming sustainability transitions in neighbourhoods by Ms. Petra Hofman, Dr. Michiel Stapper and Prof. Martijn Groenleer (Tilburg University)
 

Discussant: Dr. Leonie Reins (Tilburg University)

11.00 Coffee Break
11.15 PANEL 4: REGULATING INNOVATION FOR A GREEN TRANSITION IN EU CITIES
 

Chair: Prof. Martijn Groenleer (Tilburg University)

 
  • Sustainable Data Governance in the Smart City by Dr. Michèle Finck (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition)
 
  • (Un)sustainable Urban mobility: a multi-level coordination challenge by Dr. Carlo Colombo and Dr. Marc Dijk (Maastricht University)
 

Discussant: Prof. Mariolina Eliantonio (Maastricht University)

12.30

Conclusion of the workshop and Follow-Up

13.00 End 

 

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