FCL Global and Smart City Zürich Organise Networking Event

Urban planning authorities and researchers are working towards the same overarching goal of promoting the development of more sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities and thus creating the conditions for a more liveable urban future. They approach the challenges from different perspectives though. While urban stakeholders establish specific development objectives for their respective areas of responsibility and substantiate these with action plans and environmental standards, researchers at the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) seek to comprehend the intricacies of the city across diverse levels. Utilising data measurement and analysis, they aim to derive insights that inform future decision-making. The city is conceptualised as an urban system, thereby rendering the complex influencing factors visible and comprehensible. The contributions of both approaches are foundational.

In order to address the significant challenges encountered in the realm of urban development, it is imperative that cities and municipalities are equipped with applicable tools and methodologies to facilitate the realisation of their development objectives. In this context, research assumes a pivotal role.

The discussions centred on 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 and 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲, with contributions from the City of Zurich and the FCL modules [CFC] Circular Future Cities and [NEW] New Urban Agendas under Planetary Urbanisation provided a significant insight: Whilst research and governmental agencies may approach challenges from different angles, it is evident that true progress is achieved when there is a shared understanding of the issues. Collaboration is not merely beneficial; it is imperative.