News + Events

Join our #course in September! In-person (Athens + Nicosia) or online.
Open to #postgraduatestudents and #practitioners
👉 fill out the google form to receive more info and keep updated: https://lnkd.in/eDHXWqB6

Course highlights:
– innovative and flexible online or in-person learning format
– seminars and workshops by international experts
– real-world case studies and practical applications
– learning materials and recordings of seminars available on dedicated platform
– taught in English with summary materials available in Greek

Sustainable Mobility Unit, National Technical University of Athens
Society and Urban Form (SURF) Research Lab, University of Cyprus
Commonspace Coop
Noumena
AESOP – Association of European Schools of Planning

#InPlanEd_EU#InPlanEd #EramusPlus #UrbanPlanning #UrbanDesign #IntegratedPlanning #PlanningCourse #Cites4People #InclusiveCities#SustainableMobility #ClimateResilience #ParticipatoryPlanning #EvidenceBasedDesign #CPD

🔎  PS-U-GO (www.psugo.eu, https://bit.ly/3SFcm1C) was presented at the 36th AESOP Annual Congress 2024, held at Sciences Po, from July 8th to 12th, in Paris, by Michalis Psaras, researcher at Society and Urban Form (SURF) Research Lab, University of Cyprus.

✍️ Titled “Transdisciplinary Education in Living Labs: Participatory Skills for Sustainable Urban Governance,” the presentation outlined the project’s aims and methodology. It focused on how community engagement through the establishment of user-centered Urban Living Labs (ULLs) and the incorporation of transdisciplinarity into architectural education can equip future professionals with the skills needed to navigate real-life challenges.

The presentation was part of track 10: ‘Education’ in the session ‘Integrated Approaches’ and was discussed alongside other research works on participatory approaches to city design and governance. This approach is a crucial tool in architectural pedagogy for systematizing collaboration and enhancing social sustainability in addressing modern urban challenges.

🙏 Special thanks to AESOP – Association of European Schools of Planning, the Local Organization Committee, the session chairs, and all the participants who contributed to the engaging discussions.

Looking forward to more opportunities to share and grow! 🚀

#AESOP2024 #UrbanGovernance #LivingLabs #SustainableCities #TransdisciplinarityEducation #Architecture #UrbanPlanning #CommunityEngagement #SocialSustainability #Inclusivity #SURFLab #UCY #BTU #CNR #SFius #PUSH #UrbanFoxes #TGPSUC

🌿Citizens and Stakeholders Participation for the Strategic Planning of the Pedieos River: Collaborative Steps Towards Sustainable Development

Are you interested in how stakeholder participation can lead to more effective and equitable outcomes in sustainable urban development by incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise into decision-making processes? Recognizing the importance of citizen participation in urban planning, an innovative focus group discussion was held on July 3, 2024, as part of the Twinning towards Research Excellence in Evidence-Based Planning and Urban Design (TWIN2EXPAND) initiative by the Society and Urban Form lab (Society and Urban Form (SURF) Research Lab) at the University of Cyprus. Utilizing a participatory approach, the focus group brought together key stakeholders on a specific case study, promoting democratic dialogue and consensus-building, employing the Structured Democratic Dialogue Process (SDDP) to develop and record ideas on complex issues, leading to participatory decision-making.

👥 Key Collaborations:
The focus group on the new Strategic Plan of the #PedieosRiver brought together all relevant stakeholders to discuss priorities for enhancing accessibility, environmental protection, and creating active public spaces along the river.  Participants included residents, architects, and representatives from organizations such as the Cyprus Confederation Organisation of the Disabled (CCOD), Nicosia Inter-municipal Development Company (DAEL), the Thiasos (Θίασος) architecture studio, the café Amber and Joe, the Agioi Omologites Elementary School, the non-profit OPU – Organisation for Positive Urbanism, The Cyprus Institute, and Strovolos Municipality – Δήμος Στροβόλου .
Representatives worked together to discuss and prioritise ways to enhance #accessibility, protect the #environment, and create #vibrantpublicspaces.

🌟 Key Outcomes:
Key outcomes regarding #accessibility, #connectivity, #inclusivedesign, #greeninfrastructure, #activities and #services, #safety and #cleanliness can be found in the focus group report [https://bit.ly/3AdLlMw].

🔍 Next Steps:
The next stage involves exploring and evaluating the main issues highlighted by stakeholders concerning the proposed Strategic Planning of the #PedieosRiver using spatial analysis methods. These will be discussed in a subsequent participatory workshop, ultimately aiming to inform the preparation of related Policy Briefs to inform decision-makers.

For more information, https://lnkd.in/dKMtrqMs, https://bit.ly/3WRGDgl.

#EvidenceBasedDesign #UrbanPlanning #SustainableDevelopment #CommunityEngagement #PedieosRiver #TWIN2EXPAND #SURF #UniversityOfCyprus

We are excited to officially introduce PS-U-GO, our Erasmus Plus research project that will engage us in transforming urban spaces through participatory and sustainable planning in the next few years.

PS-U-GO – Education in Living Labs: Participatory Skills for Sustainable Urban Governance – involves a consortium of distinguished partners: Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, CNR-IRISS Istituto di Ricerca su Innovazione e Servizi per lo Sviluppo, PUSH., Urban Foxes, Social Fringe: Interesting Untold Stories and AESOP Young Academics Network Thematic Group for Public Spaces and Urban Cultures – PSUC.

Our aim is to create Urban Living Labs where students, local residents, urban planners, and policymakers can collaborate to address urban challenges and co-create vibrant, sustainable communities.

Follow our Instagram page (https://lnkd.in/dbGyYU9r) for updates, insights, and participation opportunities.

Join us in shaping the future of urban living!

#PSUGO #UrbanGovernance #EducationInnovation #Participation #UrbanLivingLabs

Nadia Charalambous Christina Panayi Michalis Psaras Ilaria Geddes Emilia Pardi Stefania Ragozino Ph.D. Gabriella Esposito Stefania Oppido Mariapatrizia Vittoria Bram Dewolfs Dafne Berc Tomislav Augustinčić Christine Mady University of Cyprus Erasmus Plus

The SURF Lab is delighted to host the conference From urban research to planning and design: strengthening cooperation between academia and practice, organised within the framework of the Knowledge Alliance for Evidence-Based Urban Practices (KAEBUP) project.  The conference will take place at the Department of Architecture, 6-8 December 2023.

This event presents a great opportunity to bring together academics and practitioners from both the private and public sectors to exchange knowledge and explore ways of strengthening collaboration in the fields of architecture, urban design and planning. The conference will discuss the topics of evidence-based design and planning focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region, emerging research methodologies for application in practice, the role of the public and civil society in creating knowledge, as well as case studies of research methods applied in professional practice.

The conference programme includes research presentations, a workshop on design thinking, two round table discussions, a book presentation, an exhibition of the Delivering affordable and sustainable housing in Europe (RE-DWELL) project, and five plenary sessions. 

On the first day of the conference, the results of the KAEBUP project will be presented to the audience, covering the KAEBUP pedagogic framework, business models for evidence-based practices, research methods applied to real-life projects, and the Sustainable Toolkit for the Assessment of Master Plans. On day two, a special session on the urban form of Beirut is dedicated to the late Professor Robert Saliba. On the final day, the Integrated Planning Education (InPlanEd) project will host its first dissemination event as part of the conference.

Amongst other keynote speakers from Europe and the Middle East, Oya Atalay Franck, president of the European Association for Architectural Education, and Ruth Schagemann, president of the Architects Council of Europe, will attend the conference to speak at the final plenary session on Friday 8th December.

Dr. Nadia Charalambous, the KAEBUP project coordinator, said: “The conference’s ambition is to strengthen the links between academia, businesses, and the public sector, valuing the know-how produced within different sectors to mutually benefit from the knowledge and tools that research can provide and from the practical expertise of the profession”.

For further information and registration for the conference, please, visit: https://cyprusconferences.org/kaebup-cynum2023/