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An exchange of lessons and experiences on Heritage cities’ energy transformation

By Ivana Rae Almora - Project Coordinator

 

In a special event of the 4th SSPCR conference, participants exchanged ideas and insights on challenging issues heritage cities face in transforming and adapting their historic and protected sites to carve a positive energy future. The event was organised as the 7th meeting of EURADA’s working group on Smart Heritage Cities.  

On the 21st of July, EURADA and the H2020 project POCITYF organised a special event in the framework of the 4th International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2022. Entitled “Heritage cities’ energy transformation: lessons and experiences on legal and regulatory restrictions, new technological solutions and digitalisation”, the event took the format of an interactive hybrid discussion in two-parts. The first half of the session involved speakers who were either researchers or working in municipalities who shared their initiatives, solutions, and barriers/restrictions they encountered in the transformation of their territories into Positive-Energy Districts. An interesting question from one of the participants asked, where can we put pressure in order to overcome the barriers mentioned? Some answers highlighted the importance of network and how, using the right network and connecting with the right people can help in reaching national authorities. Cities and municipalities cannot implement solutions without support from national authorities as laws need to be changed, permissions to be given, etc. Having the support of your market/stakeholders also help in this regard. 

During the second half of the session, the plenary split into two groups to answer 2 questions in a world café style. Below are the questions and takeaways: 

1. What are the biggest administrative/bureaucratic difficulties in your local context and how has your experience been in bureaucratic processes, approvals, tendering, etc. for energy innovations? Any possible solutions for them? 

  • Even with simple solutions such as PV panels, challenges are still encountered in their implementation; 

  • Tendering processes: there are plenty of rules to follow and their installations are complex; 

  • Authorization: cultural authorities plus local laws which are even more restrictive;

  • Problem on consumption and production: this results to people leaving/opting not to live in historical centres due to higher costs of living. 

 

2. What are the most suggested “low hanging fruits” solution both in technical and smart operation/digitalization areas according to your experiences? Which solutions would incorporate citizen participation and what is their acceptance rate around them? 

  • E-ticketing apps, displays, and platforms: these initiatives have been shown to have received positive citizen engagement and are easy to replicate;

  • Information sharing apps: targeted toward tourism, these initiatives include tickets or QR-codes which are accessible and easy to use;

  • Active/proactive inter-citizen communication apps: populated with information from users/citizens, examples of these apps include disaster prevention in cases of wildfires or flooding where a user is informed on which roads are affected by forest fires, flooding, etc. and which alternate routes they can take; which streets have parking availabilities; etc.   

To view a recording of the session, please click here.