Posts Tagged ‘Innovation’

Mapping Urban Alternatives collaboratively

Hana Grgić of Political Critique reveals how the Urban Alternatives online mapping cooperation came into being. Cities are the scene of resistance, innovation and alternatives: the place where social protests erupt and mutual cooperation unfolds, where street mobilisations and cultural creation and productive innovations emerge. The online map Urban Alternatives emerged from the cooperation between […]

By Hana Grgic, on April 11th, 2019 at 11:09

Online tools for urban practitioners

Political journalist, Jamie Mackay, takes a look at URBACT’s choice of digital tools, a fundamental part of how we work today. Innovation in urban development is first and foremost about people, about how citizens imagine the future of their local communities, and how specialists realise this. It is, by extension, a question of organisations, of […]

By Jamie Mackay, on February 21st, 2019 at 13:51

New urban planning: long-lasting innovation or just a temporary illusion? [PART 2]

Iván Tosics, URBACT Programme Expert from the Metropolitan Research Institut in Budapest asks whether new urban planning methods will stand the test of time. In the first part of this article, Ivan introduced the process of development of new public policies accross Europe and  gave concrete examples of new urban policies and planning. The new […]

By Ivan Tosics, on January 24th, 2019 at 09:45

New urban planning: long-lasting innovation or just a temporary illusion? [PART 1]

Iván Tosics, URBACT Programme Expert from the Metropolitan Research Institut in Budapest asks whether new urban planning methods will stand the test of time. The Great Financial Crisis (economists talk about the crisis in capital letters) created a new situation: the severe changes in economic and financial conditions extorted the revision of existing public policies. […]

By Ivan Tosics, on January 17th, 2019 at 11:39

From Liveability to Lovability – The role of the placemaker in co-creating vibrant cities

Placemaking is a term that captures the collaborative process used to design and animate the public realm, and promote social and cultural life in the urban environment. Jan Gehl, the famous Copenhagen based urban designer, wrote about  ‘Life between buildings’, and how quality public spaces connect people to the places they share, and enhance happiness, […]

By Sally Kneeshaw, on November 7th, 2017 at 18:44

Inside India’s Smart Cities

Of all the bars in the world…. This story starts in a bar. But not just any old bar. It’s a rooftop open-air number, straddling an uber-modern glass and steel business conglomeration. It’s a bar with a boxing ring, where two teenage Thai boxers are knocking seven bells out of one another, cheered on by […]

By Eddy Adams, on May 22nd, 2015 at 17:32

Can Marshmallows Save Our Cities?

Spaghetti and Marshmallows…What could possibly go wrong? Ever tried balancing a marshmallow on the end of a stick of spaghetti? Neither had I until last week. Let me tell you that it’s harder than it looks – particularly when the spaghetti (spaghetto?) is balanced on top of a structure made up of other…spaghetti. By now […]

By Eddy Adams, on April 9th, 2015 at 15:01

Smart City +…Turin’s Platform for Employee-Driven Innovation

Torino: Open to ideas Energy sensors to minimize power usage in public buildings; the adoption of virtual meetings to reduce staff travel time; and the establishment of a crack team to modernise local authority procurement methods. These were some of the winning ideas generated by local authority staff as part of Innova.TO, the city of […]

By Eddy Adams, on December 16th, 2014 at 10:30

From Bologna to Europa: Relationships between Creative Industries & Local Authorities

How can a whole city be involved around the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurship?  During a transnational meeting of the URBACT project Creative SpIN  in Bologna, the Municipality showed the impact of the long-standing interaction among local public administrations, entrepreneurs active in traditional sectors and cultural and creative enterprises.  The visit exemplified the project’s process […]

By Simone D'Antonio, on May 23rd, 2014 at 14:17

10,000 Employees & 10,000 Potential Innovators

“10,000 employees, but also 10,000 potential innovators.” is the slogan adopted by Turin, URBACT city and the first Italian local authority to pilot an innovative ideas call to staff. Innova.To  was launched in April 2013, with a deadline of 29th May for municipal staff to submit their ideas. The call invites staff to submit proposals […]

By Eddy Adams, on May 16th, 2014 at 09:30