“Cities4ZERO: Overcoming Carbon Lock-in in Municipalities through Smart Urban Transformation Processes”.
The scientific publication describing the Cities4ZERO methodology to be applied as part of ATELIER has just been published.
The Cities4ZERO methodology has originally been developed as part of our Smart Cities and Communities sister project SmartEnCity, written by Koldo Urrutia-Azcona, Merit Tatar, Patricia Molina-Costa and Iván Flores-Abascal. The Cities4ZERO methodology will be applied as part of ATELIER’s Bold City Vision by our partner Tecnalia as well.
In case you are interested in receiving practical, hands-on insider knowledge about the Cities4ZERO methodology, have a look at the SmartEnCity Academy, which is currently taking place online.
Abstract:
How can local authorities effectively address the decarbonization of urban environments in the long run? How would their interests and expertise be aligned into an integrated approach towards decarbonization? This paper delves into how strategic processes can help to integrate diverse disciplines and stakeholders when facing urban decarbonization and presents Cities4ZERO, a step-by-step methodology for local authorities, able to guide them through the process of developing the most appropriate plans and projects for an effective urban transition; all from an integrated, participatory and cross-cutting planning approach. For the development of the Cities4ZERO methodology, plans, projects, and strategic processes from five European cities that are part of the Smart Cities and Communities European Commission program have been monitored for 4 years, in close collaboration with local authorities, analyzing ad-hoc local strategic approaches to determine key success factors and barriers to be considered from their transitioning experiences. The study indicates that an iterative strategic approach and a project-oriented vision, combined with a stable institutional commitment, are opening a window of opportunity for cities to achieve effective decarbonization.