Forward-Looking Urban Innovations Trendbook Submissions

As part of the EU-funded Erasmus+ Urban GoodCamp project’s, which empowers Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to tackle pressing urban challenges across six European cities (namely, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Madrid, Paris and Venice) by engaging their local stakeholders in urban communities, we are searching for forward-looking written contributions for a Forward-Looking Urban Innovations Trendbook.

Based on the consortium’s investigation of current urban challenges across the six partner cities, consultation events with the local communities of stakeholders and forward-looking trend analysis of urban challenge solutions, we identified four key activities that bring together multiple actors, disciplines and perspectives to connect, exchange knowledge and prototype new trans-disciplinary solutions that address urban challenges’ intricate social, environmental, cultural and/or economic aspects. Specifically, the four key activities are:
– Transdisciplinarity in Research;
– Urban Experimentation Labs;
– Media & Advocacy Actions, and
– Citizen engagement

To prepare your contribution, find more information on the four identified activities for urban innovation, as well as on the submission process through the project’s website here.

The due date for submissions is October, 25th at 23:59

When you are ready to submit your thought piece, do so by filling out the form below:

Your contact details

Full name *

Email *

Please enter your email, so we can follow up with you.

Organisation *

Position *

Submission Template

Before you submit your thought piece, please remember:
• your piece should be in total ~500-600 words
• to break your piece into the following questions so that we can collectively shed light on the identified by the consortium four activities for urban innovation and the role of HEIs in pursuing and strengthening them.
• to remind yourself of the general guidelines for submission: here

With that in mind, please go ahead; we look forward to reading to your pieces:

Though-piece's Title *

I. A brief description on how your work/ your organisation's work is engaged with urban innovation *

Please consider sharing:
• How have you/your team or organisation been working to contribute to the organisation, empowerment, or support of the chosen activities (one or more from the aforementioned four activities for urban innovation)?
• Any particular projects related to this work.

II. In the future, which of the four aforementioned activities do you imagine being prioritised for researching and/or addressing pressing urban challenges, and why? *

You can choose to reflect on how do you imagine one or more of the four aforementioned activities to be utilised to address urban challenges’ intricate social, environmental, cultural and/or economic aspects.

For the chosen activities consider sharing:
• What could be their mission to best address urban challenges?
• Who could be the most appropriate stakeholders to be involved?
• How could the activities be organised and operated to best synthesise knowledge from different actors and disciplines?
• Where would the activities be based, if that's relevant?

III. Going forward, what role can Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play in coordinating, supporting, participating and/or promoting the chosen activities?

Please consider sharing your take on how HEIs as custodians of knowledge, could contribution through involvement in the chosen activities to systemically addressing urban challenges in local ecosystems.

IV. Closing: anything else that you would like to include in your piece

Do you face difficulty submitting your contributon or do you have outstanding questions?
Please reach out to Déspina Kortesidou at [email protected]

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