Kick-off Session: EU Task Force for Climate Neutral and Resilient Historic Urban Districts


23 June 2021, 13:00 - 16:30

- Online


Kick-off Session: EU Task Force for Climate Neutral and Resilient Historic Urban Districts


The mission of the EU Task Force for Climate Neutral and Resilient Historic Urban Districts is to co-ordinate EU efforts to make historic and contemporary urban districts climate neutral and strengthen their resilience to the effects of climate change and natural hazards as well as the resilience of the communities depending on those areas. It has been established by the Horizon 2020 projects ARCH, HYPERION, and SHELTER in response to and support of the Horizon 2020 ‘Heritage Alive’ orientation to “[increase] resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas to cope with climate change and hazard events”, following in the footsteps of earlier projects like STORM and HERACLES.


The goal of the task force to bring together actors from practice, research, and policy to foster the development and uptake of advanced solutions for resilient urban planning for historic urban districts, supporting their adaptation to climate change and making them climate neutral. In doing so, the task force aims to provide support to European authorities and decision makers for developing common evidence-based policies, strategies, and procedures. To achieve this goal, the task force focuses on three thematic areas:
1. Developing resilience strategies for historic urban districts
2. Developing harmonized approaches for assessing and monitoring risk and resilience
3. Developing equitable solutions for and with communities


The technical core of the task force is made up of partners from European research projects in the fields of heritage management, climate change mitigation/adaptation, disaster risk management/resilience as well as urban planning and regeneration. In addition, practitioners, decision makers and policy actors on European, national, and local level in those fields participate in the task force to discuss solutions offered by the technical partners and ensure their applicability.
Objective of the kick-off session


This meeting aims to discuss the role historic urban districts can play in making European cities climate neutral and more resilient. For this purpose, the new EU Task Force for Climate Neutral and Resilience Historic Urban Districts will officially be launched, connecting public and private actors in related fields. The task force is promoted by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Actions ARCH, HYPERION, and SHELTER.
Starting from a short presentation on the issues the task force aims to tackle, three panels of representative actors will discuss issues, gaps, opportunities, and good practices for achieving climate neutrality and strengthening the resilience in and with historic urban districts.

Agenda
13:00 Welcome by Angelos Amditis, HYPERION, Research Director ICCS


13:05 Welcome by Arnoldas Miloukas, Head of Unit REA B3.1 – TBC


13:10 Introduction to the purpose of the task force, Aitziber Egusquiza, SHELTER, Tecnalia


13:20 Panel discussion – Policy perspective for resilient historic urban districts
• Marie Yeroyanni, Senior Policy Officer on Innovating Cities, European Commission, Directorate- General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)
• Evangeli Tsartsou, Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO)
• Maria Chiara Esposito, Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)
• Erminia Sciacchitano, Italian Ministry of Culture, Minister’s Cabinet and G20 for Culture
• TBD, UNESCO,
• Andrew Potts, ICOMOS, Coordinator of the International Council on Monuments and Sites’ Climate Change and Heritage Working Group


14:05 Break


14:20 Introduction to Action 9 of the Partnership for Culture and Cultural Heritage – Urban Agenda for the EU by Giuliana De Francesco, Head of Unit, European multilateral relations Ministry for cultural heritage, cultural activities and tourism Italy


14:30 Panel discussion – Scientific gaps in achieving resilience for historic urban districts
• Simona Tondelli, RURITAGE, University of Bologna
• Carsten Herman, Adapt Northern Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland
• Giuseppina Padeletti, HERACLES, National Research Council of Italy
• Alessandra Bonazza, STRENCH, National Research Council of Italy
• Johanna Leissner, Chair EU OMC Group Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change, German Research Alliance Cultural Heritage, Fraunhofer EU Office


15:15 Panel discussion – On-the-ground challenges for resilient historic urban districts
• Eleonora Milandri, Ravenna
• Uta K. Mense, Hamburg
• Matthias Ripp, Regensburg
• Emilio Servera, Valencia
• Paraskevi Moraitou, Rhodes
• Rebecca Piovesan, Venice


16:00 Next steps for the task force, Daniel Lückerath, ARCH, Fraunhofer IAIS

Register here!


Back