Abstract
AbstractBefore the world was impacted by COVID-19, progress towards the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was already uneven, and a more focused attention was needed in most SDGs’ target areas. The pandemic abruptly disrupted plans and efforts towards urban transition, in some cases reverting decades of progress. The concept of resilience changed in 2020 and having to face severe health issues combined with increased socio-economic challenges in a climate change scenario, cities must urgently explore on how best to combine environmental goals with economic recovery and social justice, modifying on-going plans and initiatives, while re-arranging priorities. Acknowledging the impact that the pandemic will produce, for the years to come, on processes and initiatives towards a regenerative economy, this contribution describes most recent strategies aimed at urban transition in Europe, and critically discusses available options with respect to implementation and funding, within the framework of selected UN SDGs. Our conclusions challenge the ability of our modern society to put in practice the needed urgent actions, and call for a paradigm shift to prepare Europe to deal with climate disruptions, activate transition to a healthy and prosperous future within the planetary boundaries, and scale up solutions that will trigger transformations for the benefit of people and the environment.
Highlights
The following sections describe funding frameworks and critical pathways towards regenerative urban design in a changing built environment post-COVID-19 – such as “Innovative Urban Assets and Infrastructure”, “Circular and Just Urban Economies”, and “Climate Neutrality” – aiming at offering critical perspectives taking into consideration the above dilemmas as well as the much-awaited funding frameworks, such as Horizon Europe and the European Green Deal
Far from undermining the case for the SDGs, the magnitude and uneven impacts of COVID-19 have demonstrated that cities need the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, emphasizing the urgency of a coordinated and comprehensive international response and recovery effort, based on sound data and science and guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2020)
Climate Neutrality implies a correct consideration of user behaviour and lifestyle (SDG 3), balancing the goals of cost efficiency and green growth (SDG 8), with affordability of housing and energy poverty reduction (SDG1)
Summary
The public health and economic emergency we are currently living in is the worst the world has experienced in a century. The prospect of a large number of deaths and of the collapse of health systems have left countries with no other reasonable choice but to impose draconian measures (including citizens’ lockdown and shutting down many economic activities), which have drastically affected the lifestyle of millions of people This has led to a global economic downturn with massive job losses, and major impacts especially on vulnerable groups. Preliminary research on the impacts of COVID-19 on cities mainly relates to four major themes: (1) environmental quality; (2) socio- economic impacts; (3) management and governance; and (4) transportation and urban design (Sharifi & Khavarian-Garmsir, 2020) It is urgent a widespread endorsement of the necessary commitment to the active search and experimentation of solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, ranging from combatting and eliminating poverty and reducing inequality to dealing with climate change, health care, and capacity building. The following sections describe funding frameworks and critical pathways towards regenerative urban design in a changing built environment post-COVID-19 – such as “Innovative Urban Assets and Infrastructure”, “Circular and Just Urban Economies”, and “Climate Neutrality” – aiming at offering critical perspectives taking into consideration the above dilemmas as well as the much-awaited funding frameworks, such as Horizon Europe and the European Green Deal
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