According to a UN forecast, the urban population will make up more than 65 percent of the world’s population by 2050. How can cities and metropoles face the challenges of meeting the Paris Agreement goals while struggling with problems such as rising temperatures and reduced water availability, but nevertheless constantly grow and expand?
The panel brings together Neda Konstandinovic, who works at the Office of the Chief Architect and is part of the urban strategy team at Barcelona’s City Council, and Katja Schechtner, an urban scientist who advises global governments and businesses on how they can build the cities of the future. The two experts on sustainability in urban planning and built environments will talk about and examine initiatives such as “Superblocks”, which is part of Barcelona’s Climate Plan 2018–2030, an ambitious, Paris Agreement-compatible plan co-produced with citizens. They will also look at cities from the Global South and Asia challenged by climate change that have successfully implemented strategies in the pursuit of green transformation.
Meeting Point: First Floor
Languages: EN
Bios
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Photo: Wojciech CzajaKatja Schechtner
AT
Katja Schechtner is an urban scientist who advises global governments and businesses on how they can build the cities of the future. Previously, she developed technology and innovation policy at the OECD in Paris, led infrastructure programs at the ADB in Manila and a research lab at AIT in Vienna. As part of the MIT Senseable City Lab in Boston, she regularly publishes her work, which has also been featured at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, Ars Electronica in Linz and the Seoul Biennale for Urbanism, among others.
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Photo: Neda KostandinovicNeda Kostandinovic
RS
Neda Kostandinovic is an architect who graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade and holds a Master’s degree from ETSAB-UPC Barcelona School of Architecture. Since 2010 she has been part of the urban strategy team and in charge of international tasks in Barcelona Regional, Urban Development Agency, and since 2016 she has been coordinating international projects and participation in city networks in the Office of the Chief Architect, Area of Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing, City of Barcelona.
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Photo: Jan HromádkoRachel Donald
GB
Rachel Donald is the creator of Planet: Critical, the podcast and newsletter for a world in crisis with 14,000-plus subscribers from 167 countries. Planet: Critical connects the dots of science, art, language, politics, media, philosophy and power to reveal the big picture. Donald speaks internationally on this ecosystem as an independent researcher and writer. Alongside Planet: Critical, her world exclusive investigations into climate corruption have been published in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Mongabay, The Intercept, Byline Times and the New Republic.
Credits
Presented in the context of the Studiotopia project. Studiotopia is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
