Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour (ABC): The Science of the City Naples, March 2016 Presentation by Luigi Fusco Girard Background: the challenges This Meeting Some expected conclusions

1. THE SCIENCE OF THE CITY
Prof. Luigi FuscoGirard | University of Naples FedericoII | Naples
Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour (ABC)
Naples, 21|22|23 March 2016

2. Index
1) The background: the challenges
2) This Meeting
3) Some expected conclusions

3. 1) THE BACKGROUND: THE CHALLENGES
“The future of humanity and of our Planet lies in our hands” (Agenda 2030 , §53) :
on our choices
The 16+1 goals of 2030 Agenda (with their 169 targets) are the roadmap toward a
sustainable/desirable future.
They represent the shared vision for a more desirable future, a “better future”, proposed
and accepted by all countries last September in New York (§ 50). The challenge is the future
of the human being on our planet (see the premable). This future will take shape here and
now, starting from our cities, through our choices and decisions (see §53 and §50).

4. Sustainable Development Goals

5. Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and
decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and
build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable
development.

6. Targets of Sustainable Development Goal n.11
“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”
11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving
road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable
situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and
sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially
decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including
water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention
to air quality and municipal and other waste management
11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for
women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
11.7.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by
strengthening national and regional development planning
11.7.b By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing
integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate
change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
11.7.c Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building
sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
The goal 11 is about cities: for making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

7. All the goals (or the majority of them) can be achieved (or not) in
the space/cities.
All the problems from climate change to safety, well being,
welfare services, energy, water, food, land, production,
consumption, etc. are localized in the space of cities.
Cities are «black holes» in using energy, in producing
pollution/waste.
There is a decrease in the quality of urban life in many
metropolitan cities/agglomerations. The deseases are increasing in
many cities.
Now cities are becoming un-sustainable. The malaise and
discomfort are growing.

8. Many questions arise,
because the city is the most complex dynamic system created by the human being. .
How should we re-think the future itself of our city in the context of extraordinary
changes, of limited financial resources, in a senario of increasing number of people
migrating toward cities?.....
In this context: Which knowledge?
How can we connect multiple disciplinary perspectives/approaches about the city
(between urban design and architecture; urban planning and local economic
development; …., energy/technology/transport and ecological environment; people
well-being and natural capital … ) into one holistic/synergistic framework?.......
Which models? Which tools? Which choices?

9. For example:
The city of symbiosis is in fact the city of synergies and of closing loops of
resources/energies/raw materials/revenues:
- between city and port
- between real estate and environmental/ecological economy
- between tourism economy and industrial/logistic economy
- between economy for profit and no-profit economy
- between industrial system and urban system
- between city and rural areas...............
But : the city of symbiosis starts from the knowledge of the dynamics of material
resources, energy, water, economy, population flows in order to close “the loop”.
With the result of:
- reducing overall costs
- increasing employment
- enhancing the environmental quality

10. To become inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, the city should
move in many different directions/plans.
But in any case a new knowledge is required, able among other
things, to integrate knowledge:
For example, knowledge for futuring into urban decision making,
• through imagining and anticipating the future, examining
different possible scenarios and comparing them in a complex,
dynamic, uncertain and rapidly changing context
• through critically identifying potentials and risks.

11. A new advanced knowledge is required.
Knowledge production is the element for improving the effectiveness
of design, for evaluation and monitoring.
Knowledge production is essential to decouple economic wealth
production from negative environmental impacts; to adapt the urban
system to new challenges....
Knowledge is the lifeblood for our choices, actions, decision-
making.
But which knowledge production to face this tremendous
challenges?
For making decisions/actions able to orient the change toward a
prosperous, inclusive, safe, resilient urban future? Considering that
urban choices / decision have impacts for many
years/decades/centuries to come ?

12. A cross-sector effort is absolutely required for future
productive researches on the cities’ future…
There is the need to produce high quality research
which is at the same time also useful to solve many
problems of urban system and to enhance inhabitants’
well being and thus to transform the current un-
sustainable urban dynamic in a more desiderable
future.

13. 2) THIS MEETING:
“The scientific and academic community” is strongly engaged with the
implementation of the 16+1 goals (§ 45 and 52 – 2030 Agenda).
“Processes to develop and facilitate the availability of appropriate knowledge and
technologies globally, as well as capacity-building, are critical”.(Agenda 20030)
In § 70 specific initiatives are proposed that recognize the key role of the Science,
Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Development Goals implementation
(to facilitate access to knowledge and experience, to best practices, etc.):
sustainability depends on science, innovation, on creation of new knowledge, on
research.
Sustainability of cities depends on research.
The central role of science for shaping the future of human being is here clearly
recognized. For this reason Universities are becoming critical places for increasing
productivity of cities and, first of all, the of people’s wellbeing

14. Countries and regions should invest more and more in the
knowledge economy
Also sometimes redirecting financial resources from
housing, traditional infrastructure, business supports to
stimulate investments in knowledge production, in
promoting knowledge city, creative city…..
This meeting , organized togheter with the Regional
Science Academy, should be a step for working together
in the perspective of a high symbiosis between a
multidisciplinary network , for harvesting academic
efforts, toward their dissemination (also for private sector,
public/government sectors, etc.).

15. This is the moment to join competences and skills to face urban
challenges
– To combine social and operational relevance ( effectiveness) with
scientific excellence: a trans-disciplinary, holistic, integrated
approach is required that is at the same time more operational,
based also on non academic expertise, on practical/professional
expertise.
– Overcoming the silo’s approach that characterise universities
departments, towards a post disciplinary perspective, so as to
become useful for the city governance, for producing synergies
between research, policy and actions.
– This capacity could stimulate an active role of knowledge
insitutions for new Partenerships/ coalitions.

16. Which possible research themes?
A first list of possible entry points on urban integrated research, in promoting the
transitions towards a inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable city that are proposed here, is
the following:
‐ The City of People
‐ The City of Diversity
‐ The City of Wealth
‐ The City of Health
‐ The City of Resilience
‐ The City of Sustainability
‐ The City of Surprises
‐ The City of our Past
‐ The City of Architecture
‐ The City of Historic/Cultural Landscape
‐ The City of Progress
‐ The City of Education
‐ The City of Visions
‐ The City of Technology
‐ The City of Planning
‐ The City of Games
‐ The City of Past Landscapes
‐ The City of Future
‐ The City of Business
‐ The City of Culture
‐ The City of Networks
‐ The City of Mobility

17. 3) CONCLUSIONS• University and research centers are becoming the key components of the wealth of
the cities: they are the key components of the knowledge economy. They produce
the knowledge for making cities more inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable.
• The transition towards an “inclusive, safe, resilient, sustainable city” cannot rely
only on sciences, engineering, technologies (for decoupling economic growth from
environmental impacts, for improving people wellbeing).
• Also life sciences and social sciences and humanities are required.
• Creative thinking is vital to understand the world and the changes, and to make
choices, to adapt and to transform existing assets.
• Not only technologies are required to make a sustainable and desiderable city, but
also the system of values and meaning that shape our behavior.
• Increasing the cultural resilience capacity of each subject means modifying the way
of thinking towards a systemic, multidimensional and critical perspective, attentive to
interdependences, deep connections (to wholeness and unity), the long term,
general interests, and intangible values: for adopting sustainable lifestyles.

18. Tomorrow a round table will be dedicated to the discussion of the
Manifesto of UN Habitat: “The City We Need. Toward the New
Urban Paradigm”.
A concrete proposal will be also offered tomorrow about the city
landscape regeneration of some areas here, in Campania Region,
with a group of young researchers of the International Laboratory of
Creative City.
Young researchers are the real “agents of change”.
I think that the contribution of young researchers will be more and
more relevant in refreshing existing ideas, introducing new
perspectives, new approaches and tools. The contribution of PhD
researchers can also help cities to bridge scientific research to its
concrete implementation.

19. In conclusion:
1) Only togheter a new advanced knowledge/science of
the city can be produced, throught cross comunication,
cooperation,collaboration :
through synergies,symbioses,partnerships....
1) The title itself of this meeting “advanced brainstorm
carrefour” should be the logo in all new years
2) I thank you very much you all , coming from different
countries ( from United States to Romania/Japan, from
Sweden to GranCanaria and Kenya) for your
participation to this extraordinary challenge