Urban development gets a boost
Cities and metropolitan regions in Europe fuel competitiveness by facilitating networking and fostering agglomeration within an economy. However, increasing urbanisation comes with growing pains, bringing with it many repercussions for the economy, society and environment. It is against this backdrop that the EU-funded BOOST (BOOST - Cooperation in urban science, technology and policy) project fostered stronger collaboration within EU states to conduct in-depth research on this pivotal topic. The project brought together 13 EU Member States and Associated Countries to jointly boost research and innovation in urban science by reaching out to policymakers, civic actors, funding agencies and other stakeholders. It conducted a megatrends study to support the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) long-term strategy and programme for JPI Urban Europe – an EU joint programming initiative – for 2015-2020. BOOST also funded 20 transdisciplinary projects in the field of applied research, many using the urban living lab concept. Progress was also achieved in aligning national programmes on urban research, resulting in a bigger and stronger Urban Europe Research Alliance. This was coupled with communication and outreach activities, such as through the JPI Urban Europe newsletters, to further the project's aims. All the project's activities fed into the SRIA, advancing high-quality research and innovation in urbanisation and urban development. BOOST coordinated relevant instruments and actions, increasing the visibility and impact of the pan-European projects. Through SRIA, the project's results will help guide urban development in Europe in the coming years, streamlining different implementation measures. How cities are designed and governed has a pivotal impact on the way society advances its welfare, innovation, sustainability and social integration. In this context, results can help enhance employment opportunities, improved resource efficiency and quality of life.
Keywords
Urban, urban development, BOOST, urban science, policy, urbanisation
