Cities across Europe are at the forefront of addressing some of the most pressing urban challenges of our time, and the Scalable Cities Cafés provided a dynamic platform for knowledge-sharing and collaboration. These interactive sessions brought together leading experts, policymakers, and urban innovators to explore strategies for sustainable development. Covering topics like innovation procurement, smart city solutions, energy communities, artificial intelligence, urban digital twins, and positive clean energy districts, the Cafés delivered actionable insights and inspiring examples of success.
If you’re looking to shape the future of your city or gain practical ideas to advance urban transformation, the recordings are now available to watch. Dive into these engaging discussions and uncover strategies to tackle challenges, foster collaboration, and scale sustainable solutions.
Innovation Procurement
Procurement is a critical enabler of urban innovation, driving collaboration between cities, private sectors, and other stakeholders. The Innovation Procurement Café featured Andrea Geyer-Scholz (Smart Cities Consulting) and Damian Wagner-Herold (Urban Dynamics), who delved into the transformative role of procurement in scaling sustainable solutions. The session provided practical guidance on overcoming common challenges, building resilient systems, and ensuring long-term success.
Watch here: Innovation Procurement Café Recording
Replicating Smart Cities Solutions in Small and Medium-Sized Cities
Smaller and medium-sized cities play an essential role in advancing climate neutrality alongside other key contributors such as innovative technologies, and collaborative policies. This session, featuring Trevor Gibson (UrbanDNA), Graham Colclough (UrbanDNA), and Francesco Papa (Smart Cities Doer), highlighted the unique opportunities and challenges these cities face in scaling smart city solutions. The discussion focused on fostering collaboration, effective leadership, and creative funding strategies to enable impactful transformations.
Watch here: Replicating Smart Cities Solutions Café Recording
Energy Communities
Energy communities are reshaping urban energy systems by empowering citizens and fostering resilience. In this Café, Maarja Meitern (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Judith Borsboom-van Beurden (Locality), and Rolf Bastiaanssen (Bax) shared strategies for establishing and scaling energy communities. The session also addressed challenges such as regulatory and financial barriers, providing actionable insights for broader adoption.
Watch here: Energy Communities Café Recording
Harnessing AI for Smart Urban Transformation
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing city management by enhancing decision-making and optimizing resources. Caroline Cheng (SINTEF), Mengjie Han (Dalarna University), and Wolfgang Loibl (Sustainable Transformation Network) discussed how AI-driven solutions are reshaping urban planning, mobility, and citizen engagement. The session provided practical insights into addressing implementation challenges and scaling AI solutions effectively.
Watch here: AI for Smart Urban Transformation Café Recording
Urban Digital Twins
Urban digital twins offer real-time, data-driven insights for better urban management and planning. This session featured Hyekyung Imottesjo (CitySync Solutions AB), Nikolas Neubert (Urban Planning Specialist), Bruno Ávila (City of Amsterdam), and Dr. Sabina Reichert (Futurium/URBASOFIA). The experts explored how digital twins are enhancing urban sustainability and resilience while providing practical applications to address diverse urban needs.
Watch here: Urban Digital Twins Café Recording
Enabling and Upscaling Positive Clean Energy Districts
Positive Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) integrate energy efficiency, renewable energy, and community engagement to create sustainable urban districts. Experts Paolo Civiero (RomaTre University), Cristiana Croitoru (Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest), Savis Gohari (NTNU), and Laura Aelenei (LNEG) shared strategies for implementing and scaling PCEDs, emphasizing their role in advancing urban energy systems and climate neutrality.
Watch here: PCEDs Café Recording
Why Watch the Recordings?
The Scalable Cities Cafés are designed to provide actionable insights for policymakers, city officials, researchers, and urban innovators. By revisiting these sessions, you can:
- Explore practical solutions for achieving sustainable urban transformation.
- Learn from case studies and success stories from leading European cities.
- Gain expert perspectives on overcoming barriers and scaling innovation.
We encourage you to explore these recordings and join the growing conversation around creating climate-neutral, sustainable cities. Stay connected through our official channels to learn more about upcoming initiatives and events here.
If you'd like to share stories about your city or have questions, please reach out to us through the Scalable Cities Helpdesk.