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Although strictly related to many emission sources, urbanisation also provide a favourable context for the adoption of new low carbon technologies in key sectors such as transport, construction and infrastructures. Electric vehicles, low-energy buildings, green infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, sustainable land-use and urban planning, and reduced food wastage are some of the main examples of the large range of options and policy solutions available to make urban transition feasible.

In order to provide knowledge-based policy advice, it is crucial to understand the factors driving the energy and environmental performance of modern cities, and to identify potential trade-offs and synergies among options and policy actions.
 The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies cities and urban areas as one of the four critical global systems that can accelerate and upscale climate action. Cities will be the starting point for behavioural, technological and institutional experiments in the direction of greater sustainability and resilience.
 In this perspective, moving from the experience of previous FEEM’s projects such Re-Cities and Ecovalue, CitAge provides new evidences and contributes to the policy debate on the role of cities in the current transition through more sustainable development models.

Lines of research

  • Urban spatial structure, mobility and energy transition
    The analysis of the relationship between urban form and energy consumption is a key step to inform policies and to plan the construction of new energy efficient city districts. The research explores opportunities and challenges provided by the urban morphology and transportation to reduce energy consumption and to shift the energy mix towards green energy.
  • Energy density in EU cities
    As of today, the energy demand of cities accounts for almost 70% of the total, and it is estimated to increase by 26% by 2030. Reducing energy use and increasing the share of renewable energy is essential to reduce carbon intensity. The research is devoted to the construction of downscaled models to analyse energy demand scenarios within EU cities.
  • The Paths to Sustainability: Adaptation and mitigation
    A wide-ranging investigation to examine the various actions with which the city can contribute to greater sustainability through adaptation and mitigation measures; a work of analysis, study and collaboration with professionals and researchers. Themes: the role of municipalities in adaptation and mitigation, city networks and coalitions, prototype cities, cities and big data.