JPI Climate: Collective Urban Governance, Innovation and Creativity in the Face of Climate Change (SELFCITY)

Paper doll people holding hands

Duration: 01/15 – 03/18

Climate change adaptation and mitigation are led by three distinct groups – governments, markets and communities – which, though often operating in tandem, bring different skills and resources to this process. But while there is already a substantial body of research on the first two, much less is known about community-led approaches.

Collective urban governance, innovation and creativity in the face of climate change (SELFCITY)
therefore sets out to develop a fuller picture on the dynamics of self-organisation that underpin community-led adaptation and mitigation, with a focus on cities in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Through fieldwork and participatory research in local communities, the project will help to develop capacity among self-organisation practitioners and disseminate their experiences more widely.

The research will not only strengthen the ability community-led groups to develop local adaptation and mitigation solutions, but also raise awareness of these initiatives to other stakeholders and promote collaboration.

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Rob Atkinson (Principal Investigator, Director: Urban Research)
Justin Beaumont
Erik Bertram (Research Assistant)
Thomas Dörfler
Sabine Hafner (Research Associate)
Stephen Hall (Principal Lecturer)
Mustafa Hasanov
Nina Hehn
Eberhard Rothfuß (Chairperson)
Philipp Schuh
Ian Smith (Senior Lecturer – Economics)
Ferdinand Stenglein
Chris Zuidema (Assistant Professor, Spatial Planning)

Extensive participatory fieldwork in case study cities.

Capacity development and training of local activists.

Dissemination of findings through workshops, publications and other activities.