Title Affiliations Abstract "Governing Urban Diversity: Creating Social Cohesion, Social Mobility and Economic Performance in Today's Hyper-diversified Cities (DIVERCITIES)." "Centre on Inequality, Poverty, Social Exclusion and the City" "The central hypothesis of this project is that socio-economic, socio-demographic, ethnic and cultural diversity can positively affect social cohesion, economic performance and social mobility of individuals and groups. A better social cohesion, higher economic performance and increased chances for social mobility will make European cities more liveable and more competitive. In this period of long-term economic downturn (or sometimes even crisis) and increasing competition from countries elsewhere in the world (e.g. China, India), it is important to find out how and under which circumstances European's urban diversity can be turned into social and economic advantages." "Linking places through artistic practices." "Rajesh Heynickx, Burak Pak" "History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture, Urban Design, Urbanism, Landscape and Planning" "A-PLACE. Linking places through networked artistic practicesA-PLACE will design and implement art-centred placemaking activities (i.e. performances, installations, debates, video and photography productions) in six European cities -Barcelona, Bologna, Brussels, Lisbon, Ljubljana, and Nicosia- to connect meanings and experiences associated to places across cultural and geographic boundaries. People of multiple origins and backgrounds will contribute as co-creators of a network of places which will emerge through networked artistic practices.  Four types of placemaking activities (Spot-Place, Mobile-Place, Learn-Place and Digital Place) will be carried out in each of the six cities with the participation of the diversity of both, local (residents) and transient (refugees, tourists, business workers) inhabitants, in collaboration with artists and educational staff participating in the project. Artists will be commissioned to carry out works with mixed media as part of the placemaking activities. Their work will be displayed in special events organized at three consolidated international festivals. The placemaking activities will contribute to developing a sense of place which overcomes existing physical, social and cultural boundaries. Reflections on the products of these practices will be archived and later disseminated through an interactive digital platform. Partners:School of Architecture La Salle, Ramon Llull University- FUNITEC (Spain) (Project Coordinator); Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia); KU Leuven, Department of Architecture (Belgium); Alive Architecture (Belgium); prostoRož (Slovenia); Urban Gorillas (Cyprus); Screen Projects (Spain); City Space Architecture (Italy) and Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal)." "A comparative study of urban govervance in China and the EU member states" "Wouter Van Dooren" "Public Administration & Management" "Performance measurement is carried out by the governments world-wide. Use of performance information is a pivotal issue in performance management. However, the non-use of performance information is a ubiquitous phenomenon in both the developed countries and the developing countries. What are the reasons? The research project would use the comparative method to explore it. We would choose one European City and one city from China to do a comparative study. The objective is to find out the reasons influencing the use of performance information, especially the role of culture and institutions in this process." "Smart and Sustainable Host UniverCities: leveraging city-university interactions to further the twin green and digital transition" "Ben Derudder" "Public Governance Institute, Geography and Tourism" "SUNSET aims to develop innovative research and training capacity around city-university interactions driving the EU’s green and digital transition. This twin transition is a defining element of the current EU policy agenda towards achieving climate neutrality and sustainable growth. The European Commission considers cities to be frontrunners in this transition agenda, but their transformational capacity and resilience crucially depends on the presence of agile and high-performing urban innovation ecosystems. SUNSET brings together (1) prominent researchers working in diverse geographical and disciplinary settings at leading universities (N=6) with (2) partners (N=16) from city governments (often participating in the Cities Mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2030), innovation companies, research institutes and civil society organizations to analyze and foster the performance of these urban innovation ecosystems: drawing on a purposeful range of interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral exchanges, the Doctoral Network will investigate whether and how universities can successfully become key drivers of the twin transition in cities via their role as innovation partners, the implementation of campus living labs, and as architects of decision-making in governance ecosystems. Through a tailored combination of network-wide training events and academic and non-academic secondments, the SUNSET Doctoral Network will train a new generation of researchers to become future urban innovation ecosystem leaders in the pursuit of the twin green and digital transition. The findings will lead to practical guidelines regarding the design and implementation of living labs for university and city management, tailored strategies to foster more inclusive and diverse urban ecosystems, and diverse forms of scientific outreach and dissemination." "ECO-Life: Sustainable Zero Carbon ECO-Town Developments Improving Quality of Life across EU" "Arnold Janssens" "Department of Architecture and urban planning" "In three European countries (Belgium, Denmark and Lithuania), urban areas are transformed into sustainable zero-carbon communities. Innovative energy efficiency measures and technologies with 100% renewable energy sources are demonstrated and integrated in an overall sustainable neighbourhood design. The building physics section of Ghent University leads the energy monitoring and performance assessment of the communities, buildings and technologies (http://www.ecolife-project.eu/index.html)." "sAfe Urban aiR mObility for euRopeAn citizens" "Ivana Semanjski" "Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE SAS, European Passengers' Federation, Thomson Csf (France), University of Pisa, ROBODRONE INDUSTRIES SRO, SEAL AERONAUTICA SL, University of Florence" "AURORA is a cross-disciplinary project aiming at linking aeronautical, smart mobility, intelligent systems, urban planning, and citizens’ engagement with industry, authorities and citizens perspectives to foster the adoption of urban air mobility.AURORA primary focuses on emergency-related applications, such as medical emergency services and/or critical mobility infrastructure-related services, where urban air mobility can extend and complement current mobility systems. We believe that applications, where urban air mobility brings added value on top of the existing solutions, have a clear value proposition for the end-user and represent a fruitful path for early urban air mobility services acceptance. However, to get there technological, regulatory, economic, environmental and social challenges still need to be addressed and related gaps bridged. AURORA focuses on bridging these gaps and facilitating the integration of urban air mobility in a safe, secure, quiet and green manner. In more depth, AURORA research and innovation activities aim at implementing the enablers of intelligent urban air mobility for a multitude of safety-critical applications in the urban environment. One of the key enablers ofthe urban air mobility is an intelligent and autonomous self-piloted or UAV capable of autonomous trajectory generation while detecting and avoiding obstacles (both aerial and ground objects) in normal and abnormal conditions. AURORA will focus on the development of intelligent and fail-safe guidance-navigation-control features of the unmanned aerial system and augmented manned platform operating in an urban environment. This includes, among others, an autonomous and continuous selection of emergency landing sites and automated landing in case of fatal malfunctioning of the unmanned aerial vehicle itself. The use-cases include decision making support to emergency services and insertion and extraction of life support items or victims/first responders at the location of the incident." "Sustainable Policy Response to Urban Mobility Transition - SPROUT" "Imre Keseru" "Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Mobilise, Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), Electromobility research centre, Business technology and Operations" "The goal of the SPROUT project is to generate new, city-led, and innovative policy responses to the challenges presented by the emergence of digitally enabled business models, by new mobility patterns, and by corresponding travel/transport behaviour and decisions. In order to do this, SPROUT is collaborating with 5 pilot cities (Tel Aviv, Valencia, Kalisz, Budapest and Padua) that have real-life policy challenges as a result of an urban mobility transition in both passenger mobility and freight, covering urban and peri-urban areas, different emerging mobility solutions, and context requirements. These pilot cities are the project’s 1st-layer cities, and the results of their pilots will be evaluated in the project’s nine 2nd-layer cities, who are the validation cities. This enables the project to adopt a true city-led approach. As part of the SPROUT project, MOBI lead work package 2, ‘Understanding transition in urban mobility’, which inventorized the drivers of urban mobility transition and applied them in the project’s 1st- and 2nd-layer cities, to present an overview of the current state of urban mobility and logistics. MOBI is also responsible for work package 3, which aims to develop city-specific do-nothing scenarios for the future of urban mobility in the pilot cities for a 2025/2030 timeline using the cross-impact balance analysis method. In WP4, MOBI will also be performing a Multi-Actor-Multi-Criteria (MAMCA) analysis to help develop city-led policy responses in each pilot city.SPROUT ensures an active participation of numerous representatives from authorities of small and medium-sized cities, and through the creation of an Open Innovation Community on Urban Mobility Policy." "Towards improved compliance and quality of the works for better performing buildings" "Arnold Janssens" "Department of Architecture and urban planning, École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, Centre Technique des Industries Aérauliques et Thermiques, Chalmers University of Technology, Institutszentrum Schloss Birlinghoven, University of Seville, Belgian Building Research Institute, Cyprus Institute, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Tallinn University of Technology" "QUALICHECK Towards improved compliance and quality of the works for better performing buildings IEE/13/610/SI2.675574 Prof. Arnold Janssens This proposal aims at determining best cases and tackling bottlenecks to increase the reliability of EPC input data, to influence quality of construction and to support compliance with building Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy regulations, as well as to support transition towards nearly zeroenergy buildings (IEE 2013 Call priority ""Integrated Initiatives I Energy efficiency and renewable energy use in buildings I Tracking market transition""). There are 3 specific objectives, i.e. •obtain a better understanding of the situation on the ground regarding compliance and quality of the works influencing the energy efficiency of buildings •promote and support COMPLIANCE with building energy regulations (support improved implementation of building energy regulations by identifying challenges and providing best cases); •promote and support QUALITY of the energy related building works (influence quality in construction and workmanship by identifying successful approaches); Actions include evidence regarding the existing status on the ground, identifying best practices and solutions regarding easy access to reliable EPC input data, more quality of the works and better compliance and effective penalties, and a whole range of activities to raise awareness and engage policy makers and all relevant stakeholders. There will be specific focus on 9 countries, 4 technology areas, handling of innovation and on the residential sector. Support from stakeholders is considered crucial for effective implementation of governmental measures related to compliance and quality issues. Interaction with a wide range of stakeholders at the European level is foreseen by setting up the QualiChEck platform. In the 9 focus countries, there will be national stakeholders' concertation and roadshows. Synergy with relevant key initiatives is important and interaction with the Concerted Actions on EPBD, RES and BED, and the BUILD UP Skills Initiative is foreseen. The communication strategy supports both the broad dissemination of project outcomes and the constructive engagement of authorities and stakeholders." "Future-proofing Heritage Buildings by Optimising Comfort and Energy in Time and Space" "Arnold Janssens" "Department of Architecture and urban planning" "The transition to climate neutrality is particularly challenging for historical cities throughout Europe, wishing to safeguard their cultural heritage and identity, while enhancing its overall energy and environmental performance. In this context, the HeriTACE project proposes innovative solutions to future-proof heritage townhouses and historical neighbourhoods in three EU climate zones in a holistic way, while preserving their heritage value. These solutions include a holistic assessment model and replicable optimal design approaches for the deep renovation of heritage townhouses. These integrated approaches are supported by innovations regarding durable insulation and air tightness solutions, optimised and smart HVAC concepts, and integrated R²ES-based energy supply solutions for historical buildings and neighbourhoods.  The HeriTACE project brings together a transdisciplinary team of research institutes, authorities, SMEs, and industry experienced in design, technology, and policymaking in the domains of conservation, buildings and energy. A significant increase in deep renovations of heritage buildings has the potential to lead to effective energy demand reductions and readiness for the transition to R2ES. Based on prior research and field knowledge supported by various EU and national projects, bottlenecks have been identified that prevent the futureproofing of heritage buildings and its replication. To overcome them, HeriTACE proposes innovative technical solutions, integrated into a holistic and multi-scale renovation approach, by developing and validating: (1) A replicable holistic assessment model and standardised processes to create a holistic vision and plan on the renovation requirements for heritage townhouses in historical neighbourhoods, (2) Optimal and integrated design approaches for the deep renovation of heritage townhouses, with well-considered, targeted and minimal  invasive renovation measures, (3) Durable insulation and air tightness solutions for the renovation of building envelopes, respecting their heritage values and traditional building technology, (4) Optimised and smart controlled HVAC-concepts adapted to heritage townhouses, optimising comfort, and indoor air quality precisely where and when the building users need it, and (5) Integrated R²ES-based energy supply  solutions, maximising the share of local R²ES in heritage buildings within historical neighbourhoods. The project will deliver solutions for authorities and designers to envision and govern a sustainable energy future for heritage townhouses in historical neighbourhoods, thus putting the EU Green Deal and New European Bauhaus into practice. Close collaboration between researchers, SMEs and industry shall increase the availability of high-quality solutions for the building conservation sector." "SUPURBFOOD - Towards sustainable modes of urban and peri-urban food provisioning" "Guido Van Huylenbroeck" "Department of Agricultural economics, Baltic Studies Centre, Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau, University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England, Wageningen University & Research, Associazione Italiana per l'Agricoltura Biologica, Universidade de Vigo" "In this project we want to approach 'short food chains' and 'multifunctional agriculture' rather from an urban than rural perspective. Shortening food chains is a way to reduce the environmental impact of agro-food systems. If want to improve the environmental performance of the agro-food system, also other streams (eg nutrients, water, and municipal waste) must be taken into account. This project aims to integrate all these aspects."