Habitat Unit

CONFERENCE SESSION
November 26, 2020 | 13:30 (CET) I Online

Urban – rural (dis-)continuities: Better understanding the urban-rural interactions to ensure equitable, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China through nature-based solutions

Chaired by: Prof. Dr. Philipp Misselwitz (TU Berlin) and Dr. Ellen Banzhaf (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig)

Conference Website & Registration
Full URP 2020 Conference Programme

Details on the sessions, programmes and contributions are available in the Mobile Event App https://urp2020.plazz.net/ 

Session Topic

Following the call for new integrated territorial planning approaches and people- and place-based development at the urban-rural interface that is aligned with the localisation of SDG’s and the New Urban Agenda (NUA), the session takes stock of recent attempts to develop new approaches which accounts for the manifold interrelations and linkages between urban and rural spaces. During rapid urbanisation processes, historically evolved intricate urban-rural metabolisms are often at risk exacerbating environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NBS) offer a useful conceptual framework in which to readdress multidimensional and multi-scalar contemporary challenges facing both urban and rural areas such as climate change resilience, biodiversity loss, and social equity.Topic

The session will invite an assessment of innovative sociotechnical and nature-based solutions facing socio-economic and environmental challenges by building on approaches of, e.g., air pollution, noise, water risk and water quality management, waste management, resource efficiency, ecological food production, eco-tourism and revitalisation of cultural and built heritage at the urban-rural interface. What are specific conceptual and/ or practically tested solutions? How do they impact efficiently on the sustainable transformation of urban and rural spaces? Exemplifications may relate to the EC funded REGREEN project for Europe and China (https://www.regreen-project.eu/) and the BMBF-funded Sino-German research project “Urban-Rural Assembly (URA)” (https://urbanruralassembly.com).

Project website Urban-Rural Assembly (URA)