Transformative Cities, Cities with a Future

Context:

Part of the ‘Cities as Places of Hope’ series; a project launched in 2019 focussing on progressive city networks that are a key factor in the development for a positive narrative on the future of Europe.

About the Event:

The pandemic has had a massive impact on life in cities; during the lockdowns all around the world, we have once again been shown importance of liveable cities.

In this process, green areas that are accessible, comfortable and planned for everyone; cities accessible by bicycle and on foot; comfortable, climate-friendly and clean public transportation vehicles, a city management demonstrating the existence of social support and solidarity opportunities became prominent needs for green cities.

With presentations from our panel on the transformative policies that are part of our study, we will link these discuss how transforming cities squares with the Covid crisis and the climate emergency.

Speakers:

• Dirk Holemans is co-chairman of the Green European Foundation (GEF), coordinator of the green think tank Oikos and editor-in-chief of the magazine with the same name. Previously, Dirk worked as a researcher and lecturer at various universities, was a member of the Flemish Parliament and for 20 years a councillor in the Belgian city of Ghent. His main interests are green economy, green cities and political ecology. He recently published “Freedom and Society”. Towards a socio-ecological society”.
• Manuel Nunes is an archaeologist, teacher, freelance journalist, author and a member of several NGOs and, since 2013, deputy mayor and responsible for the Environment and Nature in the Municipality of Lousada. In the field of archaeology, he is a scientific consultant, coordinator of several research projects and has published dozens of scientific articles. As a journalist and author, he devoted more than 20 years to active environmentalism. He has published, in Portugal and Spain, a dozen books devoted to the dissemination and conservation of natural heritage. He is the founder and co-editor of the scientific journal LUCANUS, Environment and Society
• María Sánchez has a degree in law and since 2011 she has been a councillor in the Valladolid City Council, currently working in the area of the Environment and Sustainable Development. She is the spokesperson for the Valladolid Municipal Group Toma la Palabra. She is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of AquaVall, a public water business entity following the municipalisation of the water cycle in 2017 and, from 2015 to 2019, she was Chairman of the Board of Directors of MERCAOLID (Valladolid Food Unit).

Moderator: Lidia Ucher is a journalist. Her professional activity is fundamentally linked to social communication from the field of international cooperation and the Third Sector of Social Action. She is an expert in communication 2.0 and influencing the Third Social Sector. Blogger, activist in social movements and 2.0 networks, author of the blog Comunicación para el Desarrollo and creator, promoter and dynamizer of the Comunicambio network.

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Language: Simultaneous translation will be available (English/ Spanish)

Registrations are open: https://transicionverde.es/jornada-online-ciudades-transformadoras-ciudades-con-futuro/

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This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.