Cities

Cities

Ecologic Institute's urban and spatial governance team draws on the expertise of the Institute's sector-specific teams to cover a broad range of research topics. These include green and blue infrastructure (i.e. nature-based solutions), local climate change mitigation and adaptation, urban water cycles, city region food systems, urban food policies, urban-rural linkages, as well as smart cities and digital transformation at the local level.

Projects undertaken by the team include evaluations of programs. In our transdisciplinary research, projects regularly include process design, the facilitation of participatory processes at the local level, or the development of strategies with direct participation by municipal actors and other stakeholders. While aiming at the implementation of specific policies and measures, the projects also contribute to building capacity at the local level for such processes.

Contact

Doris Knoblauch
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance
Senior Fellow

Related Topics

Water

International Development

Digitalization

Governance

Adaptation

Cities

Benedict Bueb
Coordinator Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Fellow

Climate

Adaptation

Cities

International Development

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Natalia Burgos Cuevas
Researcher
Coordinator International Development

Cities

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

International Development

Adaptation

Land Use

Evaluation

Health

McKenna Davis
Coordinator Nature-based Solutions
Senior Fellow

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Cities

International Development

Ewa Iwaszuk
Fellow

Cities

Plastics

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Evaluation

Education

Governance

Doris Knoblauch
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance
Senior Fellow

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Cities

Education

Plastics

Susanne Langsdorf
Coordinator Resource Conservation & Circular Economy
Senior Fellow

Cities

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Education

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Linda Mederake
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Fellow

Biodiversity

International Development

Cities

Rebecca Noebel
Coordinator Biodiversity
Fellow
Selected Projects for Cities
ProjectAdaptation of Stormwater Management to Extreme Weather Events (AMAREX)
 

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Urban areas are particularly affected by extreme weather events such as flooding and heat waves. High levels of land sealing and high building density exacerbate the risk of flooding from heavy rainfall and the development of heat islands and consequences of droughts in... Read more

Adaptation of Stormwater Management to Extreme Weather Events (AMAREX)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectElectricityNeighbours – Can tenants in Berlin's apartment buildings become prosumers through solar power projects and sector coupling?
 

Photo by Istvan Hernek on Unsplash

Photovoltaic technology is a key lever for decarbonising Berlin's power consumption and for social participation in the transformation process, especially for tenants. Therefore, solar energy and projects on rental apartment blocks are key elements of the Berlin Senate... Read more

ElectricityNeighbours – Can tenants in Berlin's apartment buildings become prosumers through solar power projects and sector coupling?

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)
 

Photo: Ewa Iwaszuk

Cities and their peripheries are constantly confronted with challenges such as urban sprawl, climate change and pollution. These processes can exacerbate the degradation of natural ecosystems, and jeopardize ecosystem service provisioning with negative consequences for... Read more

International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectSustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic (SUDEA)
 

Image by Taken from Pixabay

The worldwide trend of increasing urban population is also noticeable in Arctic cities. Regarding the unique importance of the Arctic for the global climate system the question arises, how the increasing population can be addressed while taking the environment and the... Read more

Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic (SUDEA)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectKnowledge. Transformation. Berlin – Transdisciplinary research for a social and ecological metropolis
 

© Ecornet Berlin

In the project "Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin.", the Ecornet Berlin research network pursued the goal of expanding Berlin's pioneering role in innovative approaches for a liveable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient city. Therefore, the research network focused... Read more

Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin – Transdisciplinary research for a social and ecological metropolis

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)
 
With three quarters of the European Union's population living in cities and further increases expected, societies are increasingly facing socio-political shifts and marginalization. Limited availability of physical space, changing urban demographics, and increasing... Read more

Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Digital Water City – Leading urban water management to its digital future (DWC)
 
| ©JFL Photography|Fotolia.com
European cities face major challenges to achieve the desired level of sustainability in the management of urban water systems. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, sensor network, real-time monitoring, machine learning, and modeling tools have the potential to... Read more

Digital Water City – Leading urban water management to its digital future (DWC)

Duration
-
Funding
All projects on Cities
Selected Publications for Cities
PublicationPodcastBeating the Heat: Europe prepares for climate change impacts
 

© Ecologic Institute

In Europe and beyond, the summer of 2022 is hot. Very hot. A runway at a London airport melted in the heat, and from Paris to Warsaw the grass in parks turned dry and yellow. The Rhine – the river flowing through Rotterdam, Cologne and Strasbourg – is running dry. This... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2022: Beating the heat: Europe prepares for climate change impacts. Podcast. 2 September 2022. Online: https://greendealbigdeal.podigee.io

PublicationReportDatengovernance und -regulierung für ein nachhaltiges Berlin
 
Cover of the publication "Datengovernance und -regulierung für ein nachhaltiges Berlin. Übergeordnete Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen"

© Ecornet Berlin

This paper describes important findings from the project "Data Governance and Regulation for a Sustainable Berlin" and formulates – in addition to the application field-specific papers – overarching recommendations. The project Data Governance and Regulation for a... Read more

Gailhofer, P., Franke, J., Gsell, M., Kollosche, I., Thomas, D., Stockhaus, H., Best, A. (2022). Datengovernance und -regulierung für ein nachhaltiges Berlin – übergeordnete Erkenntnisse und Handlungsempfehlungen (Wissen. Wandel. Berlin. Report Nr.24). Berlin: Öko-Institut, UfU., IZT, Ecologic Institut, Forschungsverbund Ecornet Berlin.

PublicationReportStromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin
 
Cover of the publication "StromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin" with a view over Berlin

© Ecologic Institute

The state of Berlin and the federal German government have set themselves ambitious goals for the expansion of photovoltaics (PV) by 2030. These goals can only be achieved if all market segments quickly start to grow and keep on growing, including the segment of PV... Read more

Umpfenbach, Katharina et al. 2022: StromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin. Wissen. Wandel. Berlin. | Report Nr. 24. Berlin: Ecologic Institut.

PublicationArticleNature-Based Solutions and Sustainable Urban Planning in the European Environmental Policy Framework
 

Photo by Daniel van den Berg on Unsplash

Sustainable urban planning (SUP) is crucial in the development of sustainable cities, as also underlined by the New Urban Agenda. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being recognized for their potential to offer multiple benefits that are necessary in order to... Read more

de Luca, Claudia; Naumann, Sandra; Davis, McKenna; Tondelli, Simona. 2021. "Nature-Based Solutions and Sustainable Urban Planning in the European Environmental Policy Framework: Analysis of the State of the Art and Recommendations for Future Development" Sustainability 13, no. 9: 5021. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095021

PublicationArticleSieben auf einen Streich
 
©Stephanie Wunder|CC BY NC
The German article "Seven at one blow! Regional Food Strategies as key to more sustainable Urban-Rural cooperations" deals with the role of regional food strategies as a promising approach for an integrated, sustainable development of urban and rural areas. The article,... Read more

Wunder, Stephanie and Franziska Wolff 2020: Sieben auf einen Streich. Regionale Ernährungsstrategien als Schlüssel für eine nachhaltigere Stadt-Umland-Kooperation. In: AgrarBündnis e.V. (Hg.): Kritischer Agrarbericht 2020. Konstanz.

PublicationArticleTackling Climate Change: Give Cities a Voice
 
The mayor of London oversees decisions regarding energy, transport and housing for the city's nearly 9 million inhabitants, more than the total population of Austria. At the same time, local governments have little influence on short- and long-term climate policies... Read more

Ewa Iwaszuk 2020: Tackling Climate Change: Give Cities a Voice. In: Tobia Zevi (ed.): Global Cities in the Age of Covid-19: Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development. ISPI DOSSIER  April 19, 2020.

PublicationReportAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Policy Instruments to Promote Urban Nature-based Solutions
 
Publication's cover

© Ecologic Institute & the Sendzimir Foundation Berlin – Kraków 2020

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to social and environmental challenges, such as air pollution, the heat island effect,... Read more

Naumann, S., Davis, M., Iwaszuk, E., Freundt, M., Mederake, L., 2020: Addressing climate change in cities – Policy instruments to promote urban nature-based solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Naumann, S., Davis, M., Iwaszuk, E., Freundt, M., Mederake, L., 2020: Błękitno-zielona infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Narzędzia strategiczne. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

PublicationBookAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Catalogue of urban nature-based solutions
 
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to perform functions, such as thermal insulation and stormwater retention and filtration.... Read more

English version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Addressing Climate Change in Cities. Catalogue of Urban Nature-Based Solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Polish version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Błękitno-zielona
infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Katalog techniczny. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

PublicationBook SectionThe Transformative Potential of Local Climate Change Strategies
 
With both the impact of climate change on cities and the role cities play in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions becoming increasingly apparent, many cities around the world are adopting long-term climate policy strategies or vision documents outlining how they... Read more

Iwaszuk, Ewa; Mederake, Linda; Knoblauch, Doris (2019): The Transformative Potential of Local Climate Change Strategies. In: Zevi, Tobia (Ed.) The Century of Global Cities. How Urbanisation is Changing the World and Shaping our Future. Milan: Italian Institute for International Political Studies.

PublicationReportMulti-level Policy Framework for Sustainable Urban Development and Nature-based Solutions – Status quo, gaps and opportunities
 
In this report, Doris Knoblauch, Sandra Naumann, Linda Mederake and Ariel Carlos Araujo Sosa (all Ecologic Institute) explore the extent to which current policy frameworks support sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions (NBS). To this end, policies... Read more

Knoblauch et al. (2019). Multi-level policy framework for sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions -- Status quo, gaps and oppor-tunities. Deliverable 1.2, CLEVER Cities, H2020 grant no. 776604.

PublicationBook SectionThe Evolving Role of Cities as Non-state Actors in the International Climate Regime
 
"While nations talk, cities act." This quote from Mike Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, reflects the frequent portrayal of the role of cities and local governments in global climate governance: in light of concerns about the inability of national governments to... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Iwaszuk, Ewa; Knoblauch, Doris (2019): The evolving role of cities as non-state actors in the international climate regime. In: Abdullah, Hannah (Ed.) Cities in World Politics. Local responses to global challenges. Monografías CIDOB 75. Barcelona: CIDOB.

All publications on Cities
Selected Events for Cities
EventConferenceCities Talk Nature
 

Visit to the Interurban Biological Corridor Maria Aguilar (CBIMA)

|

© UNGL 2022

On the 12 and 13 May 2022, the INTERLACE project held the first Latin American Cities Talk Nature Engagement Event in San José, Costa Rica. The project is led by Ecologic Institute. Cities Talk Nature is a community of practice dedicated to restoring degraded... Read more

Conference:Cities Talk Nature

Date
-
Location
San José, Costa Rica
EventConferenceKnowledge. Change. Berlin. 2021
 

© Ecornet Berlin

Climate-neutral housing and construction must become the standard if we want to prevent the collapse of our climate system and meet political goals. But how do we get everyone on board? How can we ensure that rents remain affordable for low-income groups, that resources... Read more

Conference:Knowledge. Change. Berlin. 2021

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
EventVisitors ProgramAddressing Climate Change in Cities: Berlin study tour for Polish NBS and local government experts
 
A group of polish local government experts, landscape planners, architects and engineers participated in a study tour on nature-based solutions in Berlin on 25 and 26 August 2020, which was part of the EUKI project "Climate NBS Poland". Nature-based solutions (NBS) can... Read more

Visitors Program:Addressing Climate Change in Cities: Berlin study tour for Polish NBS and local government experts

Date
-
Location
Berlin, Germany
EventDigital EventUrban Nature-based Solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges – Expert workshop
 
On 5 May 2020, the expert workshop "Urban nature-based solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges" took place online as part of the NATURVATION project. At this workshop, more than 60 experts from policy, administration, practice and research... Read more

Digital Event:Urban Nature-based Solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges – Expert workshop

Date
Location
online
All events on Cities
Selected Presentations for Cities
PresentationSpeechMainstreaming Nature-based Solutions
 
Screenshot of the webinar "Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions Enhancing local policy coordination and coherence" with a presentation slide an d McKenna Davis speaking

© CitiesWithNature

The need to mainstream nature-based solutions (NBS) into urban governance and planning is increasingly advocated for by both governmental actors and the research community across different sectors. UrbanByNature (UbN) – a facilitated capacity-building programme... Read more

Speech:Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions

Date
Location
online
PresentationPanel discussionINTERLACE in the New European Bauhaus
 
Photo of Conference

© NEB

How can European citizens become architects of the cities of tomorrow? The New European Bauhaus is an initiative to make our living spaces and experiences more beautiful, sustainable and inclusive. Nature-based solutions are seen as a key element to achieve this vision.... Read more

Panel discussion:INTERLACE in the New European Bauhaus

Date
Location
hybrid, Brussels, Belgium
PresentationSpeechThe Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'Green' Actions and the European Green Deal
 
screenshot with McKenna Davis

© EUKN

The Urban Agenda for the EU recognizes the importance of nature-based solutions as tools for sustainable recovery and development. Yet implementation and mainstreaming at city level remain limited. Can the European Green Deal support these efforts? What role can... Read more

Speech:The Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'Green' Actions and the European Green Deal

Date
Location
online
PresentationSpeechGood Practices from Germany as an Inspiration for Polish Local-governments
 

Photo: Ewa Iwaszuk

With around 75% of EU population living in urban areas, cites will play a key role in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing vulnerability to impacts of climate change and building resilience. Multifunctional nature-based solutions can be a powerful tool to jointly... Read more

Speech:Good Practices from Germany as an Inspiration for Polish Local-governments

Date
Location
online
PresentationSpeechWhat Does the European Green Deal Mean for Cities and Metropolitan Areas?
 
The Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) and the Àerea Metropolitanade Barcelona (AMB) invited Doris Knoblauch from Ecologic Institute to speak at the workshop "Metropolitan Challenges in the post 2020 European Union" in Barcelona (Spain), on 10 March 2020... Read more

Speech:What Does the European Green Deal Mean for Cities and Metropolitan Areas?

Date
Location
Barcelona, Spain
All presentations on Cities