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EU Research & Innovation for and with Cities (complete PDF)

This report provides an overview of the main EU Research and Innovation (R&I) actions for and with cities to help them accelerate their transition towards sustainability and climate neutrality. These actions, together with urban related policies across the European Commission Services, contribute to the implementation of targets of international frameworks (such as the COP21 Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), the UN Habitat III new Urban Agenda) to which cities, have committed and which will help deliver on the European Green Deal objectives.

The report maps city related actions, initiatives, platforms and networks funded under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, highlighting their impact on urban environments and their contribution to advancing urban policies. It also maps new city policy priorities and future trends under Horizon Europe. In particular, it provides an EU quantitative knowledge base on innovative urban policies and planning, for decision makers, urban planners and practitioners, strenthening the science-policy-private sector interface. It also shows the importance of cities as nodes of global networks of skills, knowledge and capital and the added-value of connectivity and collaborative networks across all types of cities and regions, as central to innovation. The report showcases a large array of projects that put forward innovative solutions and best practices for sustainable urban development. These projects promote an integrated urban planning approach to climate mitigation and adaptation, health and well-being, and social inclusion. The projects also developed and tested human-centred technologies, financing mechanisms and participatory governance tools, and practices of social innovation, advancing the state of play of citizen engagement and societal acceptance of technologies.

Source: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). 2021. EU research & innovation for and with cities. DOI: 10.2777/934525

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