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By Jose Costero, URBACT expert
On 6th of November 2024, the city of Sabadell (Spain) hosted a thought-provoking workshop, Urban Green Innovation, as part of the Eurotowns Annual General Assembly. Led by URBACT expert Jose Costero, the workshop provided a platform for representatives of medium-sized cities across Europe to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and explore innovative solutions to foster sustainability and resilience in urban environments.
A Focus on Urban Green Innovation
The workshop began with a detailed presentation by Costero, who introduced the concept of urban green innovation as a transformative approach to urban development. He highlighted the importance of medium-sized cities—those with populations between 50,000 and 250,000—in driving regional growth by offering jobs, services, and quality of life. These cities, often overlooked in broader urban narratives, play a pivotal role in shaping greener and smarter futures.
“Green” in this context, Costero emphasised, goes far beyond planting trees. It encompasses a holistic transformation of urban systems to achieve sustainability, climate neutrality, and resilience. He also stressed that innovation is not limited to technological advancements; it involves creative approaches to addressing urban challenges, from improving energy efficiency to rethinking mobility systems.
Exploring Four Types of Innovation
The workshop outlined four types of innovation relevant to urban contexts:
-Incremental Innovation, which focuses on continuous improvement of existing systems, such as energy efficiency in public buildings.
-Adjacent Innovation, which extends existing capabilities to new markets or audiences, exemplified by the adoption of renewable energy in new urban areas.
-Disruptive Innovation, which revolutionises industries, such as the shift to electric mobility.
-Radical Innovation, which introduces entirely new products or services, like green hydrogen technologies transforming energy landscapes.
These categories provided a framework for participants to think critically about how their cities are engaging with innovation and where opportunities lie for further development.
Key Areas for Green Innovation
The session also highlighted five key domains of urban green innovation: energy, buildings, mobility, green infrastructure, and the circular economy. For each, Costero presented cutting-edge trends such as:
-Energy: Decarbonisation through renewable energy sources, urban energy storage, and green hydrogen.
-Buildings: Developing positive energy districts and using advanced materials in construction and renovation.
-Mobility: Promoting electric mobility, micromobility solutions, and autonomous transport systems.
-Green Infrastructure: Implementing nature-based solutions, green roofs, and sustainable drainage systems to enhance biodiversity and climate resilience.
-Circular Economy: Encouraging industrial symbiosis, circular construction practices, and effective waste management.
Interactive Engagement and Practical Insights
Following the presentation, participants engaged in an interactive “Cities’ Round,” where representatives shared their most successful green initiatives. Examples included electric bus fleets, energy communities, and green hydrogen projects. These insights set the stage for group discussions on the barriers and enablers of green innovation in urban settings.
Barriers identified included limited funding, fragmented governance, resistance to change behaviours and mindsets, and technical skill gaps. On the other hand, participants highlighted enablers such as political support, strong partnerships between public and private sectors, access to digital tools like city dashboards and digital twins, and forward-thinking policies supported by the European Green Deal.
A Proactive Vision for the Future
The workshop concluded with a reflection on the attitudes cities adopt towards the future. Using historical and contemporary examples—like the proactive adoption of autonomous mobility in San Francisco—Costero urged cities to embrace innovation with foresight and determination. He underlined that urban green innovation is not just a technical challenge but a mindset that requires creativity, collaboration, and courage.
Looking Ahead
As Eurotowns cities navigate the complexities of the green transition, workshops like these play a crucial role in equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to lead the way. The Urban Green Innovation workshop reaffirmed the commitment of medium-sized cities to creating a more sustainable Europe, inspiring participants to translate ideas into impactful actions in their local contexts.
13.1.2025
By Jose Costero, URBACT expert
On 6th of November 2024, the city of Sabadell (Spain) hosted a thought-provoking workshop, Urban Green Innovation, as part of the Eurotowns Annual General Assembly. Led by URBACT expert Jose Costero, the workshop provided a platform for representatives of medium-sized cities across Europe to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and explore innovative solutions to foster sustainability and resilience in urban environments.
A Focus on Urban Green Innovation
The workshop began with a detailed presentation by Costero, who introduced the concept of urban green innovation as a transformative approach to urban development. He highlighted the importance of medium-sized cities—those with populations between 50,000 and 250,000—in driving regional growth by offering jobs, services, and quality of life. These cities, often overlooked in broader urban narratives, play a pivotal role in shaping greener and smarter futures.
“Green” in this context, Costero emphasised, goes far beyond planting trees. It encompasses a holistic transformation of urban systems to achieve sustainability, climate neutrality, and resilience. He also stressed that innovation is not limited to technological advancements; it involves creative approaches to addressing urban challenges, from improving energy efficiency to rethinking mobility systems.
Exploring Four Types of Innovation
The workshop outlined four types of innovation relevant to urban contexts:
-Incremental Innovation, which focuses on continuous improvement of existing systems, such as energy efficiency in public buildings.
-Adjacent Innovation, which extends existing capabilities to new markets or audiences, exemplified by the adoption of renewable energy in new urban areas.
-Disruptive Innovation, which revolutionises industries, such as the shift to electric mobility.
-Radical Innovation, which introduces entirely new products or services, like green hydrogen technologies transforming energy landscapes.
These categories provided a framework for participants to think critically about how their cities are engaging with innovation and where opportunities lie for further development.
Key Areas for Green Innovation
The session also highlighted five key domains of urban green innovation: energy, buildings, mobility, green infrastructure, and the circular economy. For each, Costero presented cutting-edge trends such as:
-Energy: Decarbonisation through renewable energy sources, urban energy storage, and green hydrogen.
-Buildings: Developing positive energy districts and using advanced materials in construction and renovation.
-Mobility: Promoting electric mobility, micromobility solutions, and autonomous transport systems.
-Green Infrastructure: Implementing nature-based solutions, green roofs, and sustainable drainage systems to enhance biodiversity and climate resilience.
-Circular Economy: Encouraging industrial symbiosis, circular construction practices, and effective waste management.
Interactive Engagement and Practical Insights
Following the presentation, participants engaged in an interactive “Cities’ Round,” where representatives shared their most successful green initiatives. Examples included electric bus fleets, energy communities, and green hydrogen projects. These insights set the stage for group discussions on the barriers and enablers of green innovation in urban settings.
Barriers identified included limited funding, fragmented governance, resistance to change behaviours and mindsets, and technical skill gaps. On the other hand, participants highlighted enablers such as political support, strong partnerships between public and private sectors, access to digital tools like city dashboards and digital twins, and forward-thinking policies supported by the European Green Deal.
A Proactive Vision for the Future
The workshop concluded with a reflection on the attitudes cities adopt towards the future. Using historical and contemporary examples—like the proactive adoption of autonomous mobility in San Francisco—Costero urged cities to embrace innovation with foresight and determination. He underlined that urban green innovation is not just a technical challenge but a mindset that requires creativity, collaboration, and courage.
Looking Ahead
As Eurotowns cities navigate the complexities of the green transition, workshops like these play a crucial role in equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to lead the way. The Urban Green Innovation workshop reaffirmed the commitment of medium-sized cities to creating a more sustainable Europe, inspiring participants to translate ideas into impactful actions in their local contexts.
