Lead Partner: Applied Research and Communications Fund

CityZen responds to the growing number of cities and regions that recognize the benefits of urban farming for living sustainably and improving revenues. It aims to promote urban farming as a successful driving force for economic and social transformation by introducing the concept to policy makers. Various regional policies on green innovation and resource efficiency, like food security, waste management, community development and adaptation to climate change, are to be improved by integrating urban farming models and practices. CityZen will explore successful and new (business) values that urban farming brings to the ecosystem and link them to innovative entrepreneurship and supply chains. The creation of a knowledge pool of urban farming policies, initiatives and business processes is meant to support decision makers and leverage the efficiency of their actions. Showcasing how improved policies impact the five European partner regions, create entrepreneurship opportunities and drive business and social transformation is set a priority of the CityZen project.

Lead Partner: Delft University of Technology

2050 CliMobCity is about climate mitigation in the field of urban mobility. Many cities have formulated very to modestly ambitious climate aims for the very long term (e.g. 2050) or for a shorter period (e.g. 2030). Whatever aim, many cities are uncertain about if and how they can achieve these goals. The project addresses measure (package)s to sufficiently improve the CO2-performance of urban mobility, and the governance required in this regard. The central question is: How must mobility change to achieve climate-friendly mobility? And because the urbanism also influences the sustainability of mobility, the question includes: How must the urban structure change to achieve climate-friendly mobility? The project contributes to answering these questions, focussing on three issues for interregional learning: 1) Identification of measure packages to sufficiently reduce CO2 of mobility for the local or regional climate aims, and their implementation in strategic mobility or spatial plans, 2) Electric mobility and large scale charging of electric road vehicles, and 3) Information and communication systems supporting modal shift or shorter distances enhancing carbon-friendly mobility. All partner cities, Bydgoszcz, Leipzig, Plymouth, Almeria and Thessaloniki, are contributing ones, having manifested themselves in (one or more of) the mentioned innovative areas. All partner cities are also learning ones. The first issue is relative complex, while also being extremely relevant, as it shows whether a city is sufficiently on track for its climate aims. To convince all city actors to incorporate identification results in strategic city plans and other policy documents and announce corresponding actions in the project action plans, the project demonstrates the value of the identification by carrying out such exercise for each partner city in the learning phase.

Lead Partner: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES)

EMOBICITY seeks to improve low-carbon economy policies, so as to facilitate the take up of electric mobility at a national and regional level. 6 EU Partners, 5 action plans, 1 goal: Integration of e-mobility.

Lead Partner: Metropolis Nice Côte d’Azur

BLUE GREEN CITY seeks to improve policies that promote Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) as an integral part of a local or regional natural heritage preservation strategy How will these be achieved? BLUE GREEN CITY will increase individual, organisational, stakeholder and external knowledge of the concept of ecosystem services and the value of GBI through project events, workshops and training. This will be done through interregional Policy learning process and collaboration in finding common solutions to common challenges posed by climate change adaptation and by sharing experience and exchanging good practices. OBJECTIVES assess the use of a wide range of Policy instruments and identify the potential barriers for adopting GBIdevelop and improve GBI strategies in order to create functional ecological connectivity between cities and peri-urban protected areasmap the existing GBI provisions and assess the economic and non-monetary valuation of ecosystem servicesdefining measures to be included in a Biodiversity Action Plan and a strategic spatial plan for future GBI implementation raise awareness and knowledge of the concept of ecosystem services and of the value of green and blue infrastructure in protecting, preserving and enhancing natural and cultural capitaldevelop best practice recommendations for improving Policy instruments that promote green and blue infrastructure MAIN OUTPUTS 7 Action Plans to develop/improve GBI strategies for natural heritage preservation (including  the mapping of existing GBI provision, a Biodiversity Action Plan and a Strategic Spatial Plan for future GBI implementation)Training ManualsSet of Best Practices and experienceWorking Tables, Reports on experiencesPeer-review workshop reports, Thematic expert papersStudy visit guides