Velo Capital’s Post

We're excited to invite researchers and practitioners to contribute to the upcoming Special Issue on "Reimagining Urban Mobility: Innovations and Transformations for Future Cities," to be published in Elsevier's Journal of Urban Mobility. This special issue aims to explore and address the pressing challenges in metropolitan regions striving for sustainable mobility solutions. We encourage contributions that spotlight mobility innovations, urban planning strategies, and impactful best practices, especially on the following key themes (which were discussed during the #mobilTUM2024 conference): Placemaking & Proximity – Integrating urban spaces and mobility. Sustainable Mobility – Promoting eco-friendly choices in metropolitan areas. Governance – Responsible innovation in urban mobility. Mobility Justice – Transitioning toward equity-focused mobility. System Analysis – Design and evaluation of sustainable urban systems. Keywords: #AccessibilityPlanning, #ProximityPlanning, #15minuteCity, #StreetExperiments, #TacticalUrbanism, #Placemaking, #MobilityHubs, #MobilityJustice, #Governance Submission Deadline: December 30, 2024 Everyone is welcome to submit a thematically relevant paper, regardless of whether you presented your research at the conference. Guest Editors: Benjamin Büttner – Technische Universität München, Germany David Duran Rodas – Technische Universität München, Germany Frank Witlox - Ghent University, Belgium For further submission details, please visit the official page https://lnkd.in/dF-fpwNC. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the guest editors. We look forward to your valuable contributions to reimagining urban mobility research!

4 YEARS! Dear Institute friends, collaborators and partners! We are grateful for your support and appreciation of our manifold projects and initiatives. By working together, we can achieve a more sustainable and resilient urban future. Urban transformation is not a linear path but a complex, multifaceted journey that requires collaboration, resilience, perseverance, an orchestrated approach and ambitious pilot projects. As we celebrate the 4th anniversary of the Next-Generation Cities Institute, we recognize the significant progress we have made, but we are equally conscious that our journey has just begun. We are building a #community of incomparable thinkers and doers committed to co-creating a better future. Through groundbreaking research, collaborative projects, and #partnerships across academia, industry, civil society organizations and governments, we've seen tangible results that align with our vision for a more sustainable future. Innovative Research Initiatives: We were involved in several research projects that addressed critical issues such as sustainable #energy solutions, green building technologies, and #decarbonization strategies tailored to urban environments  Cross-Disciplinary Partnerships: From urban planners and environmental scientists to engineers and #policy experts, the Institute has facilitated collaborations that bring diverse perspectives together. These efforts have led to holistic solutions integrating technology, policy, and community engagement to achieve meaningful change.  Policy Impact: We’ve contributed to shaping local, regional, and global policy discussions on urban sustainability, advocating for approaches that prioritize environmental health and social equity. Global Recognition: Our work has garnered attention from urban and industry leaders, decision-makers, and institutions, placing the Institute at the forefront of urban sustainability discourse. None of this would have been possible without our partners, collaborators, and supporters. We are deeply grateful for the commitment and dedication of all who have joined us on this mission to transform cities for the better. #Together, we celebrate the successes we have already achieved and look forward to those yet to come! As we continue on this path, we invite our friends, collaborators, and partners to engage with us in new and exciting ways. Whether through research, project collaborations, or policy advocacy, there are countless opportunities for each of us to contribute to the transformative work ahead. The work we do today will shape the cities of tomorrow—cities that are carbon-neutral but also #resilient, #inclusive, and #thriving. Together, we can turn this vision into reality. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey! Concordia University

Having delved into “Future Cities—City Futures Emerging Urban Perspectives,” I found it to be a thought-provoking publication that offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our #urban #environments. It offers a comprehensive exploration of #ideas, #observations, and #considerations for urban life and the built environment across different time periods - #past, #present, and #future. The collection presented in this publication is diverse, painting a vivid picture of the potential urban landscapes that could unfold in the coming years. This publication delves into evaluating scenarios of possibility, plausibility, and probability, prompting us to ponder various questions. ◽ How can #future #cities be made more #liveable, #sustainable, and #resilient? ◽ How can cities continue to provide a wide range of opportunities for all necessities of life? ◽ How can the city’s resilience be improved in current and future crises? ◽ How can the city be made future-proof? ◽ How can future cities become more healthy, sustainable, prosperous, enjoyable, safe, and just? ◽ How can the quality of future urban life be improved? ◽ Ultimately, what kind of #cities do we want to live in? While this publication presents a series of ideas, it serves as an invitation for each one of us to engage in introspection. I would certainly complete this reading with “Time to challenge the 15-minute city: Seven pitfalls for sustainability, equity, livability, and spatial analysis” by Kostas Mouratidis. The seven pitfalls highlighted in the text are as follows: (1) Originality (2) Decentralization and polycentricity (3) Quantity versus sufficiency (4) Aggregating facilities (5) Urban nature (6) Public transport and accessibility (7) Walking and cycling   Something that truly caught my attention and sparked contemplation was the intriguing alignment between certain ideas presented in the scenarios outlined in the book “Future Cities—City Futures Emerging Urban Perspectives” and those deliberated upon during the “Collaborative Foresight cycle on Futures of Infrastructure in Southern Sweden in 2050” at Media Evolution. This convergence not only piqued my interest but also prompted me to delve deeper into the dynamic nature of foresight exercises. As soon as the book containing the scenarios from our #foresight cycle is released, I will be distributing it. What I am really looking forward to reading myself are the stories crafted by Paul Graham Raven that are depicted in these #scenarios. If it’s still a post about reading recommendations, I also suggest checking out the latest book “Waves of the Blue Sea,” which emerged after another foresight cycle. Here you can not only disconnect with other future scenarios, but also immerse yourself in the narratives of characters inhabiting these worlds, all skillfully penned by Paul Graham Raven. #CityFutures #FutureCities #city #architecture #infrastructure #resilient #regenerative

‘Future Cities—City Futures’ 24/25 In a last update before the summer break, we highlight yet another individual chapter of our recent publication  ‘Future Cities—City Futures: Emerging Urban Perspectives’  published by TUDelftOpen of Delft University of Technology. Special thanks to our co-author Pablo van der Lugt! Please check out: Chapter 24: The Potential of Mass Timber Building for Future-Proof Cities  by Pablo van der Lugt: “The latest generation of timber products enable complete multi storey neighbourhoods to be built from sustainably sourced softwood. This chapter explores how a large-scale transition to timber building in urban environments could contribute to solving the three major global crises we are currently facing with climate, natural resources, and health. If key external determinants are used to set the right preconditions, by 2030, the combined forestry and construction sectors in Europe could mitigate 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and provide sufficient timber to sustainably meet housing demand in Europe while contributing significantly to the well-being of urban citizens.” KEYWORDS #masstimber; #biobasedbuilding; #climate; #circularity; #healthandwellbeing. Synopsis: "Future Cities—City Futures: Emerging Urban Perspectives" is about future cities and possible scenarios for city futures. A question central to this book is how to face urban challenges while providing and safeguarding positive outcomes, concerned with the improvement of the quality of urban life: How can future cities be made more liveable, sustainable, and resilient? How can cities continue to provide a wide range of opportunities for all necessities of life? To tackle these complex questions, the book includes a collection of 25 articles written by 37 emerging voices in urban design and research. Together, they contribute from a diverse spectrum of interest, expertise, academic disciplines, and practice. Future Cities—City Futures intends to be a platform for trans-disciplinary urban discourse. Please take a moment to peruse the publication, available as: online version https://lnkd.in/et_CEZgZ and  print-on-demand edition https://lnkd.in/emutgnvV   Veddeler, C., Kuijper, J., Gath-Morad, M., & van der Wal, I. (Eds.) (2023). Future Cities–City Futures: Emerging Urban Perspectives. TU Delft Open. https://lnkd.in/gW4XyFYH

I'm excited to share our latest research published in the Journal of Planning Literature! Our study "Key Themes and Conceptual Frameworks for a Smart-Inclusive City: A Scoping Review" explores how cities can effectively integrate smartness and inclusivity. Through a comprehensive scoping review, we identified four key themes across social, political, spatial, and environmental domains. We propose a framework that positions inclusivity as the city's goal and smartness as the means to achieve it, emphasizing citizen-centered processes and equitable benefit-sharing.

🚀 Publication alert! 📢 In my article, I dive into a crucial question: How do we assign a monetary value to the social impact of urban projects? 🤔 Specifically, I explore the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology to quantify the impact that the urban public space project VARCITIES - Green Cities are Healthier Cities would create in the Italian pilot city Castelfranco Veneto. Here's what you'll find in the article: 🔍 The process of Theory of Change definitions, connecting project solutions to changes experienced by key stakeholders. 💰 The methodology used to monetarily quantify these changes, offering a tangible measure of social return. 📚 A comprehensive review of current SROI applications in the literature, alongside analyzed case studies. 🎯 Actionable recommendations and insights for urban planners, researchers, policymakers, and anyone passionate about maximizing social impact through their projects or programs. It's all about unveiling the "invisible" outcomes, both positive and negative, that are often overlooked. I would like to give special thanks to the co-authors of this paper for their great contribution and guidance Adriano Bisello, Sara Torabi and Patrizia Lombardi For reading the full paper, here is the link: https://lnkd.in/d-vYUZws Join me in exploring innovative ways to evaluate and enhance the social impact of urban projects and community initiatives! Let's make a real difference together. 👏 #SocialImpact #UrbanDevelopment #SROI #CommunityEngagement

Call for papers: Transformative Knowledge for Urban Sustainability Collection Together with Antje Bruns Universität Trier and #Vesta_Nele_Zareh Hochschule Anhalt and the #AdNEB-Team Umweltbundesamt - German Environment Agency, I invite you to contribute to the Collection in the Springer Nature Group journal #Discover #Sustainability - an open access journal publishing research across all fields relevant to sustainability. We call for integrated, systemic, and actionable research for sustainable #urban #transformation in line with the New European Bauhaus #NEB principles. Contributions can address: integrated urban planning, mobility transition, sustainable building practices, promoting urban health and/or realizing nature-based solutions. The submission #deadline for scientific contributions is 20 June 2024 - contact me directly for details on a potential extention. More information about the call, different article formats and the author guidelines are available on this website: https://lnkd.in/eBgrj4di

Do you know of an example that showcases circular urban economy in Europe? Your expertise is needed! With the support of Sweco, the EU-programme Driving Urban Transitions Partnership is seeking the top 100 Circular Urban Economy cases across European cities and towns. Please help us find truly transformative examples, grassroot initiatives or research and innovation projects that showcase what Circular Urban Economy could bring to our future European cities and towns. Share some information with us via the #DUT website: https://lnkd.in/dXReUZTi The #DUT Partnership boosts urban transitions through its three thematic Transition Pathways: One of them Circular Urban Economies, #CUE, aims to support cities to become more resource efficient and reduce their impact on the planet. #CUE encourages cities to implement circular measures that address socio-economic inequalities, promote social cohesion, and improve access to urban resources, services, and green areas. Driving Urban Transitions Partnership Formas, a Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development IQ Samhällsbyggnad Björn Wallsten Ann Maudsley Johannes Riegler Katarina Schylberg Jennifer Wendelius #DUTCOnference2024 NetZeroCitiesEU #EUCitiesMission #100MissionCities Kathleen Van de Werf Carlo Negri Anders Neregård Elise Grosse Kevin Penalva-Halpin Emma Sterner Oderstedt Leen Bellens Yin Ying Marcus Morichetto Diego Luna Quintanilla Jens Aerts Sweco #SwecoArchitects Sweden #SwecoBelgium #SwecoUrbanInsight

The City College of New York is teaming up with United Nations University to drive sustainable urban transformation through cutting-edge remote sensing research. This new UNU Hub—the first in the U.S. and the world's only hub focused on remote sensing and sustainability challenges of complex urban systems—aims to tackle pressing urban issues globally.

🌍 INVITATION: Workshop - Thriving Urban Areas in 2040: Navigating Crises and Uncertainty The evidence is clear: we are overshooting planetary boundaries, do not suceed to transition (fast enough) and the road ahead is marked by growing uncertainties. Additionally, in the global north, recent political shifts adds to the urgency of preparing and adapting for future climates, crises, extreme weather events, in a world that is greatly different from today. How will urban life look, feel, and function in 2040 if we continue to overshoot? What transformations must we embrace to navigate crises while striving for livable, regenerative cities? Join us for this interactive workshop where we’ll use futuring methodologies and personas to imagine and co-create robust urban scenarios. Together, we’ll explore the impacts of climate and biodiversity crises on food systems, energy, mobility, and urban lifestyles—and develop strategies to adapt and thrive in a changing world. 📅 Date: 12 February 2025 ⏰ Time: 13:00 – 16:00 CET 🖥️ Where: Online via Zoom 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dJXfeb8a The results of the workshop will inform the strategic development of Driving Urban Transitions Partnership, foremost the update of the DUT roadmap. Ping: Driving Urban Transitions Partnership, Lisa Hudson-Bushart, Christoph Gollner, Björn Wallsten, Ann Maudsley, Zandra Thuvesson, Orsolya Küttel, Jakob Schabus, Katarina Schylberg, Jennifer Wendelius, Daniela Rizzi, Matthew Bach, Mark Van der Veken, Sareh Moosavi, Rutger de Graaf, Anne Marieke Eveleens, Paul Erian, Marie Ivarsson, Marie-Carmen Bex