Feb 24 2021
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Governance Strategies for Cooling Cities: Cases of Athens and Istanbul

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About

This research focuses specifically on improving the understanding of the capabilities and needs that cities have for an effective adaptation to heatwaves, which are expected to become more frequent with the increasing average global temperature while adaptation to the changing climate has many different aspects.  To this end, after laying a short account of the relation between cities, climate change, and heatwaves, we will first try to assess the efforts of cooling Athens, conducted within the “100 Resilient Cities” initiative between 2014-2019. Then, drawing from the experience in Athens, we will explore the potential policies and measures relevant to the case in Istanbul and conduct a discussion on effective governance for the effective implementation of these policies.”

We will hold a meeting on Tuesday, 2nd of March, to share the topics covered in the article with our stakeholders and to discuss the responsibilities and policy proposals of municipalities and city actors to cooling cities.”

Speakers:

Cem İskender Aydın, Article author, Boğaziçi University, Institute of Environmental Sciences

Begüm Aydın, Corresponding article writer Boğaziçi University, Institute of Environmental Sciences

Ümit Şahin, Istanbul Policy Center, Senior Specialist and Climate Change Studies Coordinator

Programme

13.00-13.30 Introduction of the article

13.30-13.50 Questions and comments on the report

13.50-14.00 Heat waves in cities: Policy suggestions for local governments

14.00-14.30 Free discussion

Register Here

Language:

This event will be in Turkish language

The Cities as Places of Hope Project is carried out by the Green European Foundation with the support of green organizations in the following countries: Spain (Transición Verde), Catalonia (Nous Horitzons), Croatia (The Institute for Political Ecology-IPE), Belgium (Oikos), North Macedonia (Sunrise), and Turkey (Green Thought Association). The Cities as Places of Hope Project started in 2019 with a focus on progressive city networks that appear as key factors in the creation of a positive narrative about the future of Europe. Project activities that were carried out in 2020 aimed to bring together progressive and transformative trans-local city networks, to connect them and to facilitate exchange between them, ultimately contributing to the development of a positive narrative about the future of Europe.

Feb 16 2021
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Governance Strategies for Cooling Cities: Cases of Athens and Istanbul

By Uncategorized

This article was produced as part of the Cities as Places of Hope Project to present research findings on good practices in cities. The project aims to increase the visibility of actors who work on urbanisation policies and to enhance cooperation among different actors by highlighting inspiring examples from different cities shown by project partners. The Cities as Places of Hope Project is carried out by the Green European Foundation with the support of green organizations in the following countries: Spain (Transición Verde), Catalonia (Nous Horitzons), Croatia (The Institute for Political Ecology-IPE), Belgium (Oikos), North Macedonia (Sunrise), and Turkey (Green Thought Association). The Cities as Places of Hope Project started in 2019 with a focus on progressive city networks that appear as key factors in the creation of a positive narrative about the future of Europe. Project activities that were carried out in 2020 aimed to bring together progressive and transformative trans-local city networks, to connect them and to facilitate exchange between them, ultimately contributing to the development of a positive narrative about the future of Europe.

 

This publication has been realised with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Also available in Turkish – ŞEHİRLERİ SERİNLETMEK İÇİN YÖNETİŞİM STRATEJİLERİ: ATİNA VE İSTANBUL ÖRNEKLERİ

Feb 15 2021
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Making the City Green with Civil Society

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Making the City Green with Civil Society: Roundtable Meeting Report of IMM-Civil Society Relations within the Framework of Green City Practices

 

This report is prepared on the basis of the outputs of the Green Cities Workshops organized under the Cities as Places of Hope Project. The Cities as Places of Hope Project has been carried out by the Green European Foundation with the support of green organizations from all over Europe; Spain (Transición Verde), Catalonia (Nous Horitzons), Croatia (The Institute for Political Ecology-IPE), Belgium (Oikos), Northern Macedonia (Sunrise) and Turkey (Green Thought Association). This project was launched in 2019 focusing on progressive city networks, a key factor in developing a positive narrative about Europe’s future. Within the scope of the project, it is aimed to bring together the progressive and transformative local and international city networks, to provide cooperation, to facilitate the exchange of information, and to contribute to the creation of a positive narrative about the future of Europe with the activities carried out in 2020.

 

Also available in Turkish

Jan 15 2021
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Sexual Harassment and Feminist Struggle in Groups

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About the Event: 

GEF together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants take part in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.  

This workshop will be held online on the 25th of December, featuring as speaker Cemre Baytok, coordinator of Sexual Harassment Prevention Commission of Boğaziçi University. 

Programme:

20:30-21:00: Presentation from Cemre Baytok

21:00-22:00 Open discussion and Q&A

Practicalities: 

Participation in this workshop is closed, and participants have already been selected.  

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This project is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Green Thought Association and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.”

Nov 27 2020
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In Search of a Green City

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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 of a positive narrative on the future of Europe. The project brings together partners from Spain (Fundación Transición Verde), Catalonia (Nous Horitzons), Croatia (The Institute for Political Ecology-IPE) , Belgium (Oikos), North Macedonia (Sunrise) and Turkey. This 2020 project aims to bring together progressive and transformative trans-local city networks, to connect them and facilitate their exchanges, ultimately contributing to a positive narrative for the future of Europe.

About the Event:

The ‘In search of a green city’ event will bring together green local councillors from different municipalities and civil society from across Turkey, Belgium, Greece and Spain. In this event, we aim to share best practises and discuss the role and participation of city actors through the examples below which are the findings of the GEF Cities as Places of Hope Project:

  • Public Health Protection and awareness campaign on heat wave # coolathens / Athens Municipality/Greece
  • Remunicipalisation of water management / Valladolid Municipality /Spain
  • Gent Mobility for livable and accessible city / Gent Municipality /Belgium

Programme:

13:00-14:00 ⎢ Sharing of best practices

Moderator: Müge Yorgancı, Urban Planner and Researcher, Vision 2050 Office

     1. ‘Urban Mobility and Gent Mobility Plan’

Dirk Holemans / Former Member of the Belgian Parliament / Oikos Think Tank/ Co-President, Green European Foundation

    2. ‘Water Management as a Public Policy in Local Governments’

Sergi Alegre Calero / Vice Mayor of the City of El Prat / Fundacio Nous Horitzons

    3. ‘ Heat Waves and Climate Resilient Cities’

Ümit Şahin / Green Thought Association

14: 10-15: 00 ⎢ Group Studies

    1. ‘Water Management in Cities and Water Rights’

Moderator: Dr. Akgün İlhan, Water Management Specialist, Boğaziçi University

    2. ‘Mobility in Cities’

Moderator: Arzu Erturan, Board Member of Street Is Ours Association, MSGSÜ Research Assistant

    3. ‘Heat Waves and Climate Resilience Cities’

Moderator: Assoc. Dr. Sevil Acar, Boğaziçi University

Practicalities:

Registrations are open: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkcu2qpz8rGt3p6P6o5RnCYsE-rz7ABI7P

For more information about the event: in Turkish / in English

Turkish and English translations will be available during the first part of the event.

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This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Green Thought Association and with the financial support of the European parliament to the Green European Foundation.

Oct 15 2020
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Cities as Places of Hope Roundtable II

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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. The GEF-19-01 Cities as Places of Hope project is carried out simultaneously in Belgium, Croatia, Spain, North Macedonia and Turkey.

About the Event:

Our roundtable aims to increase the dialogue between the actors in the city with each other and to develop a supportive, effective follow-up and participatory mechanism (network) for sustainable and green city planning.

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, city management demonstrating the existence of social support and solidarity opportunities became prominent needs for green cities.

In many cities, even if some of these opportunities are provided, they cannot be placed in a governance plan within a sustainable and standard framework. Therefore, in this event, we will evaluate the indicator standards for green cities and the capacities of city administrations with experts.

Participants:

IMM Istanbul Planning Agency, Vision 2050 and Institute Istanbul, Istanbul Statistics Office, IMM Urban Planning Department, IMM Parks and Gardens Directorate, IMM Directorate of Transportation, IMM Department of Environment

The Foresters’ Association of Turkey, Streets Belong to Us Association, Center for Spatial Justice, Right to Clean Air Platform, Istanbul City Council Working Group on Climate and Environment, Sustainable Cities Network, 350.org Turkey

Programme:

  • First session
    • Land Use, Sea and beach use, Water Management, Human Settlement, Transportation, Energy.
    • Networking and collaboration.
  • Second session
    • Jobs within green municipalism
  • Third session
    • Istanbul and its green visibility

Practicalities:

This is a closed event

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of The Green Thought Association and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.

Sep 30 2020
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Cities as Places of Hope Roundtable I

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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 of 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.

In many cities, even if some of these opportunities are provided, they cannot be placed in a governance plan within a sustainable and standard framework. Therefore, in this event as part of a series of two, participants will evaluate the indicator standards for green cities and the capacities of city administrations with experts. In the second event the focus will be on concrete policy recommendations.

Participants from:

  • IMM Istanbul Planning Agency, Vision 2050 and Institute Istanbul, Istanbul Statistics Office, IMM Urban Planning Department, IMM Parks and Gardens Directorate, IMM Directorate of Transportation, IMM Department of Environment
  • The Foresters’ Association of Turkey, Streets Belong to Us Association, Center for Spatial Justice, Right to Clean Air Platform, Istanbul City Council Working Group on Climate and Environment, Sustainable Cities Network, 350.org Turkey

Programme:

First Session: Analysis of the state of play

  • Evaluation of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s non-state climate actors network (NAZCA) goals
  • Covenant of Mayors and targets within the scope of C40 and assessment of IMM’s position
  • IMM policy and practice analysis

Second Session: Indicator analysis

  • Evaluation of IMM’s present resources and targets for Green Municipalism indicators and tracking standards (methodology, existing data, mapping and modeling, transparency and traceability of targets, tracking and visibility)

Third Session: Assessment of needs and expectations

This is a closed event

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Green Thought Association and with the financial support of the European parliament to the Green European Foundation.

Sep 16 2020
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Masculinity Studies

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About the Event:

GEF together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants take part in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.

This workshop will be held online on the 24th of October, featuring as speaker Murat Göç-Bilgin. The topic that will be covered is Masculinity Studies.

Context:

Workshops are open to selected applicants only and are held in Turkish, but will culminate in a larger conference in October that includes the participation of international speakers as well.

Speaker:

Dr. Murat Göç-Bilgin holds a doctorate degree from Ege University, Department of American Culture and Literature. He is currently teaching at the English Language and Literature Department at Celal Bayar University. He seeks to specialize in Cultural Studies, Contemporary American Literature and Gender Studies, particularly Critical Studies of Masculinity.

Practicalities:

Participation in this seminar is closed, and participants have already been selected.

The webinar is organised in partnership with Green Thought Association

Sep 16 2020
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Queer Politics

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About the Event:

GEF together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants take part in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.

The next workshop will be held online on the 26th of September, featuring as speakers Sema Semih and Nil Mutluer. The topic that will be covered is Queer Politics.

Context:

Workshops are open to selected applicants only and are held in Turkish, but will culminate in a larger conference in October that includes the participation of international speakers as well.

Speakers:

  • Sema Semih – genderqueer activist; Sabancı University Center of Excellence for Gender and Women’s Studies (Istanbul)
  • Nil Mutluer – Einstein Foundation Senior Scholar at the Diversity and Social Conflict Department at the Humboldt University of Berlin; has published extensively in the areas of diversity (gender, ethnic and religious), nationalism, migration, memory studies and Turkish politics.

Practicalities:

Participation in this seminar is closed, and participants have already been selected.

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The webinar is organised in partnership with Green Thought Association.

Jul 22 2020
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Ecofeminism (Webinar)

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About the Event:

GEF, together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants take part in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.

The next workshop will be held online on the 8th of August, featuring as speaker Emet Değirmenci. The topic that will be covered is Ecofeminism.

Context:

Workshops are open to selected applicants only and are held in Turkish, but will culminate in a larger conference in October that includes the participation of international speakers as well.

Speakers:

This seminar is led by Emet Değirmenci who has been working on Ecology and Women based studies for more than 20 years. As a geophysical engineer, who has worked as a seismologist for the Technical University of Istanbul for 14 years, she decided in 1997 to invest her studies and efforts around social-ecological transformation. In 2019 she published a book titled ‘Kadinlar Ekolojik Dönüşümde (Ecological Transformation Through Women’s  Eye).

Practicalities:

Participation in this seminar is closed, and participants have already been selected.

 

Jul 22 2020
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Green Politics Webinar (Istanbul)

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About the Event:

GEF together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants take part in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.

The next workshop will be held online on July 25th, featuring as speakers Rümeysa Çamdereli and Burcu Kalpakoğlu .

The topic that will be covered is: “Feminism through a belief perspective”.

Context:

Workshops are open to selected applicants only and are held in Turkish, but will culminate in a larger conference in October that includes the participation of international speakers as well.

Speakers:

This seminar is led by Rümeysa Çamdereli and Burcu Kalpakoğlu, from Havle Women’s Association which is Turkey’s first feminist Muslim Women’s Association. This organization was born in 2018 out of a need for a roof where feminist women from different Muslim women’s organizations can come together and produce information and policy within a Muslim feminist framework.

Practicalities:

Participation in this seminar is closed, and participants have already been selected.

Feb 24 2020
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Gender

Gender, Construction of Sexuality, and the Feminist and LGBTI+ Movement in the World and Turkey (Istanbul)

By

About the Event:

GEF together with the Green Thought Association is launching a year-long project on gender equality and green politics. Selected participants will participate in monthly expert and activist workshops, building knowledge and creating video content on selected topics for wider dissemination.

The first workshop will be held on March 8th and will consist of a one-day seminar led by Dr. Nil Mutluer. The topic is: “Gender, Construction of Sexuality, and the Feminist and LGBTI+ Movement in the World and Turkey.”

Workshops are open to selected applicants only and will be held in Turkish, but will culminate in a larger conference in October that includes the participation of international speakers as well. The project is part of the Gender Equality for Green Politics project, organised in partnership with Green Thought Association.

Speakers:

The first seminar is led by Dr. Nil Mutluer. She is the Einstein Foundation Senior Scholar in the Diversity and Social Conflict Department at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and has published extensively in the areas of diversity (gender, ethnic and religious), nationalism, migration, memory studies and Turkish politics.

Practicalities:

Participation in this seminar is free and open to selected applicants. It is open to trans and cis women. Participants must commit to contribute regularly and actively in all of the workshops as well the preparation for the conference in October.

Apply here by 27th February.

 

Mar 05 2019
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Climate Conference (Istanbul)

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Event Background

Turkey has been seeing the tangible effects of climate change over the last few years, with impacts on food security, the economy, and other broader social ramifications.

Yet there is no solution-oriented action due to resistance by policy-makers and a lack of public awareness. There is particularly a lack of clarity in the debate regarding the link between urban and local ecological deterioration and climate change, and the effects of climate change on the local level. There is also an absence of understanding on how political decisions and action at an international level relate to the local level.

About the Event

Held in coordination with our partner Yesil Dusunce Dernegi, this national conference will offer a different perspective on climate change, connecting society, movements, communication and green politics. It aims to build capacities and raise awareness of the effects of climate change, local actions and green policy alternatives in the field.

It will bring together the agenda for the climate and ecology movements on both European and local levels, and provide networking opportunities.

In particular, the conference will focus on:

  • Opportunities to identify and compare relationships between mitigation and adaptation policies at national and local levels, and the obligations and potential they offer.
  • Develop awareness and comprehension of European policy proposals regarding climate change and encourage political debate that includes the Turkism perspective on the issue.
  • Establish solidarity networks between local movements directly affected by environmental disasters and those affected by ill-conceived fossil-fuel projects.

Programme

The working language of the conference will be Turkish.

10.00-10: 45 | Climate Policies

Moderator: Barış Gençer Baykan / Yeditepe University – Green Thought Association

Omer Madra / Açık Radyo
Kelsey DePorte / FYEG (European Young Greens) Climate Campaigner

10: 45-11.00 | Break

11: 00-11: 45 | Climate Law

Moderator: Serkan Köybaşı / Bahcesehir University – Green Thought Association

Gökşen Şahin / People’s Climate Case
Serde Atalay / Ecology Collective Association

11: 45-12.00 | Break

12: 00-13: 00 | Activism / Communication/ Campaigning

Teo Commet / FYEG Secretary General
XR (Extenction Rebellion) International
13: 00-14: 00 | Lunch

14: 00-16: 00 | Forum

XR Turkey (Extinction Rebellion / Rebellion Extinction)
FFF Turkey (Fridays For Future Turkey)
PFF Turkey (Parents For Future)
Local Movements
Climate Activists

Parallel Sessions:

10.00-13.00 | Informatics Education-kidsistanbul

This event will last for 3 hours and is suitable for children between the ages of 10-15.

Registration

This conference is free and open to all. However, registration is required.

Please register via this form that can be found here. 

 

Jul 03 2018
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European Green Alternatives (Assos-Canakkale)

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Context

In a time of ever-growing challenges fundamental principles of Human Rights and human dignity, this projects aims to highlight the transformative power of social movement, and how green alternatives in politics as well as in everyone’s daily lives can be realised.

About the event

For almost a decade, the Green Thought Association is organising a Yeşil Kamp in Turkey to bring together European and Turkish Greens to exchange ideas and discuss the most pressing issues such as women’s rights, food and agricultural systems and rights of nature, law, social contracts and ecological struggles, and so forth.

This year, the Green Camp will be kicked off with a special GEF Summer School on European Green Alternatives aiming to promote green values such as sustainability, feminism, direct democracy etc. in Turkey.

The Summer School of GEF will be followed up from 2 to 5 August with more thematic and interactive workshops and presentations to deepen the participants’ understanding and knowledge on those topics.

Programme

10:00- 11:15 The Rights of Nature and the Environmental Constitutionalism

Moderator and Introduction: Ümit Şahin (Istanbul Policy Center Climate Change Senior Specialist, Green Thought Association)

  • Rana Göksu (Lawyer, Green Thought Association)
  • Georgi Velev (SavePirin Campaign, Zelenite – Green Party of Bulgaria)

11:45-13:45 Gender Policies and Queer Ecology 

  • Moderator and Introduction: Sevil Turan (Green Thought Association)
  • Vesna Jusup (European Green Party/EGP)
  • Beatrice White (Green European Foundation /GEF)
  • Teo Comet Kortman (Federation of Young European Greens/FYEG)

15:15-16:30 Food Policies

  • Moderator and Introduction: Bengi Akbulut (Ecology Collective)
  • Antoine Tifine (Federation of Young European Greens/FYEG)
  • Leyla Aslan Ünlübay (Buğday Association)
  • Ayşenur Arslanoğlu (Slowfood Movement)

18.00-19.30 Parallel Workshops

Workshop 1: Fight against water crisis- Akgün İlhan

Workshop 2: Gender Equality and Queer Ecology –Cihan Koral Malak

Workshop 3: Fair Food and Food Policies–Durukan Dudu

For further questions, directly get in touch with cihat.demirtas@yesildusunce.org 

Sep 08 2017
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Climate-friendly Green Economy Policies

By Uncategorized

Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing humankind. Global warming causes growing economic, social, and ecologic losses. The challenges we face cannot be overcome by solely raising consumer awareness or by encouraging the private sector to adapt cleaner production practices alone. What we need is a system that will enable decision-makers of all levels, from individuals to international institutions, to act as a coherent whole on the path to achieve the determined targets.

Green economy offers a conceptual, theoretical, and practical framework that will enable this transformation. This report features Green economy policy recommendations for the fields of urban policy, land use, and energy. The mission of this report is to look at EU climate change mitigation and adaptation and its best practices in the fields of urbanization, land use, and energy in light of Turkey’s current conditions.

The common characteristic of all innovative practices featured in this report, such as passive buildings, energy co-ops, community- supported agriculture (CSA), bicycle use for inner-city transportation, urban vegetable gardens, and regenerative agriculture, is that they create easy and widely applicable environmental and climate-friendly alternatives and provide new ways for private citizens to be directly involved in the economy and even generate income.