THE SCIENCE OF THE CITY

Prof. Luigi Fusco Girard | University of Naples Federico II | Naples

Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour (ABC)

Naples, 21|22|23 March 2016

Index

1) The background: the challenges

2) This Meeting

3) Some expected conclusions

1) THE BACKGROUND: THE CHALLENGES

“The future of humanity and of our Planet lies in our hands” (Agenda 2030 , §53) : on our choices

The 16+1 goals of 2030 Agenda (with their 169 targets) are the roadmap toward a sustainable/desirable future.

They represent the shared vision for a more desirable future, a “better future”, proposed and accepted by all countries last September in New York (§ 50). The challenge is the future of the human being on our planet (see the premable). This future will take shape here and now, starting from our cities, through our choices and decisions (see §53 and §50).

Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Targets of Sustainable Development Goal n.11“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”

11.1 

By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

11.2 

By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons 

11.3 

By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries 

11.4 

Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

11.5 

By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

11.6 

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

11.7 

By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities 

11.7.a 

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning 

11.7.b 

By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels 

11.7.c 

Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

The goal 11 is about cities: for making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

All the goals (or the majority of them) can be achieved (or not) in the space/cities.

All the problems from climate change to safety, well being, welfare services, energy, water, food, land, production, consumption, etc. are localized in the space of cities.

Cities are «black holes» in using energy, in producing pollution/waste.There is a decrease in the quality of urban life in many metropolitan cities/agglomerations. The deseases are increasing in many cities.

Now cities are becoming un-sustainable. The malaise and discomfort are growing.

Many questions arise, because the city is the most complex dynamic system created by the human being. . How should we re-think the future itself of our city in the context of extraordinary changes, of limited financial resources, in a senario of increasing number of people migrating toward cities?.....

In this context: Which knowledge? How can we connect multiple disciplinary perspectives/approaches about the city (between urban design and architecture; urban planning and local economic development; …., energy/technology/transport and ecological environment; people well-being and natural capital … ) into one holistic/synergistic framework?.......

Which models? Which tools? Which choices?

For example:The city of symbiosis is in fact the city of synergies and of closing loops of resources/energies/raw materials/revenues: - between city and port- between real estate and environmental/ecological economy - between tourism economy and industrial/logistic economy- between economy for profit and no-profit economy- between industrial system and urban system- between city and rural areas...............

But : the city of symbiosis starts from the knowledge of the dynamics of material resources, energy, water, economy, population flows in order to close “the loop”. With the result of:- reducing overall costs- increasing employment- enhancing the environmental quality

To become inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, the city should move in many different directions/plans.

But in any case a new knowledge is required, able among other things, to integrate knowledge:

For example, knowledge for futuring into urban decision making,

• through imagining and anticipating the future, examining different possible scenarios and comparing them in a complex, dynamic, uncertain and rapidly changing context

• through critically identifying potentials and risks.

A new advanced knowledge is required.Knowledge production is the element for improving the effectiveness of design, for evaluation and monitoring.Knowledge production is essential to decouple economic wealth production from negative environmental impacts; to adapt the urban system to new challenges.... Knowledge is the lifeblood for our choices, actions, decision-making.

But which knowledge production to face this tremendous challenges? For making decisions/actions able to orient the change toward a prosperous, inclusive, safe, resilient urban future? Considering that urban choices / decision have impacts for many years/decades/centuries to come ?

A cross-sector effort is absolutely required for future productive researches on the cities’ future…

There is the need to produce high quality research which is at the same time also useful to solve many problems of urban system and to enhance inhabitants’ well being and thus to transform the current un- sustainable urban dynamic in a more desiderable future.

2) THIS MEETING:

“The scientific and academic community” is strongly engaged with the implementation of the 16+1 goals (§ 45 and 52 – 2030 Agenda).“Processes to develop and facilitate the availability of appropriate knowledge and technologies globally, as well as capacity-building, are critical”.(Agenda 20030) In § 70 specific initiatives are proposed that recognize the key role of the Science, Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Development Goals implementation (to facilitate access to knowledge and experience, to best practices, etc.): sustainability depends on science, innovation, on creation of new knowledge, on research.

Sustainability of cities depends on research.The central role of science for shaping the future of human being is here clearly recognized. For this reason Universities are becoming critical places for increasing productivity of cities and, first of all, the of people’s wellbeing

Countries and regions should invest more and more in the knowledge economy Also sometimes redirecting financial resources from housing, traditional infrastructure, business supports to stimulate investments in knowledge production, in promoting knowledge city, creative city…..

This meeting , organized togheter with the Regional Science Academy, should be a step for working together in the perspective of a high symbiosis between a multidisciplinary network , for harvesting academic efforts, toward their dissemination (also for private sector, public/government sectors, etc.).

This is the moment to join competences and skills to face urban challenges

– To combine social and operational relevance ( effectiveness) with scientific excellence: a trans-disciplinary, holistic, integrated approach is required that is at the same time more operational, based also on non academic expertise, on practical/professional expertise.

– Overcoming the silo’s approach that characterise universities departments, towards a post disciplinary perspective, so as to become useful for the city governance, for producing synergies between research, policy and actions.

– This capacity could stimulate an active role of knowledge insitutions for new Partenerships/ coalitions.

Which possible research themes?A first list of possible entry points on urban integrated research, in promoting the transitions towards a inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable city that are proposed here, is the following:

‐ The City of People‐ The City of Diversity‐ The City of Wealth‐ The City of Health

‐ The City of Resilience‐ The City of Sustainability‐ The City of Surprises‐ The City of our Past‐ The City of Architecture‐ The City of Historic/Cultural Landscape‐ The City of Progress‐ The City of Education‐ The City of Visions‐ The City of Technology‐ The City of Planning‐ The City of Games‐ The City of Past Landscapes‐ The City of Future‐ The City of Business‐ The City of Culture‐ The City of Networks‐ The City of Mobility

3) CONCLUSIONS• University and research centers are becoming the key components of the wealth of the cities: they are the key components of the knowledge economy. They produce the knowledge for making cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable.

• The transition towards an “inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable city” cannot rely only on sciences, engineering, technologies (for decoupling economic growth from environmental impacts, for improving people wellbeing).

• Also life sciences and social sciences and humanities are required.

• Creative thinking is vital to understand the world and the changes, and to make choices, to adapt and to transform existing assets.

• Not only technologies are required to make a sustainable and desiderable city, but also the system of values and meaning that shape our behavior.

• Increasing the cultural resilience capacity of each subject means modifying the way of thinking towards a systemic, multidimensional and critical perspective, attentive to interdependences, deep connections (to wholeness and unity), the long term, general interests, and intangible values: for adopting sustainable lifestyles.

Tomorrow a round table will be dedicated to the discussion of the Manifesto of UN Habitat: “The City We Need. Toward the New Urban Paradigm”.

A concrete proposal will be also offered tomorrow about the city landscape regeneration of some areas here, in Campania Region, with a group of young researchers of the International Laboratory of Creative City. Young researchers are the real “agents of change”.

I think that the contribution of young researchers will be more and more relevant in refreshing existing ideas, introducing new perspectives, new approaches and tools. The contribution of PhD researchers can also help cities to bridge scientific research to its concrete implementation.

In conclusion:

1) Only togheter a new advanced knowledge/science of the city can be produced, throught cross comunication, cooperation,collaboration :

through synergies,symbioses,partnerships....

2) The title itself of this meeting “advanced brainstorm carrefour” should be the logo in all new years

3) I thank you very much you all , coming from different countries ( from United States to Romania/Japan, from Sweden to GranCanaria and Kenya) for your participation to this extraordinary challenge