Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DUT (European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions)
Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-12-31
The Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) Partnership builds on the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe (JPI UE), bringing together partners from 28 countries to coordinate urban sustainability actions. The partnership supports the European Green Deal, the UN SDGs, the New Urban Agenda, the Urban Agenda for the EU, and the Paris Agreement by addressing key urban challenges related to energy, mobility, circular resource flows, and social equity.
DUT fosters effective urban solutions, a multi-actor innovation ecosystem, and impact-driven research. Its transformative R&I programme integrates transitions across sectors, strengthens synergies with other initiatives, and ensures R&I outcomes are widely shared and replicated. The partnership operates through three Impact Pathways: driving sustainable and inclusive urban areas, fostering multi-stakeholder ecosystems, and supporting the EU Green Deal and Cities Mission while delivering broader societal and economic benefits.
DUT fosters effective urban solutions, a multi-actor innovation ecosystem, and impact-driven research. Its transformative R&I programme integrates transitions across sectors, strengthens synergies with other initiatives, and ensures R&I outcomes are widely shared and replicated. The partnership operates through three Impact Pathways: driving sustainable and inclusive urban areas, fostering multi-stakeholder ecosystems, and supporting the EU Green Deal and Cities Mission while delivering broader societal and economic benefits.
In its first two years (2022-2023), DUT established a strong foundation for urban transitions research and innovation. A consortium of 67 partners from 28 countries was formed primarily comprising ministries and national/regional funding agencies. The project successfully operationalized key partnership bodies, finalized legal frameworks including the Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement, ensuring effective coordination and management mechanisms.
The DUT Roadmap, developed through collaboration, sets a strategic framework for urban transitions, guiding the three Transition Pathways (TPs): Positive Energy Districts (PED), 15-Minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE). Annual Work Programmes were co-created and approved.
R&I activities advanced significantly, with 48 projects funded under DUT Call 2022 and 42 projects selected under DUT Call 2023, demonstrating strong engagement from urban stakeholders.
Stakeholder engagement remained a priority, with the DUT City Panel involving over 50 municipalities in strategic planning and peer learning. Workshops and conference sessions mobilized stakeholders, while AGORA Dialogues provided platforms for exchange. The Urban Doers Booklet & Community was piloted to empower local initiatives.
DUT also contributed to capacity-building by organizing workshops for civil servants on funding and governance, supporting the Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) as an observer, positioning DUT as a knowledge provider, and joining three UA Partnerships (Building Decarbonisation, Cities of Equality, and Greening Cities). DUT provided training on Urban Living Labs during the French EU Council Presidency and participated in joint events with the Swedish EU Presidency.
International cooperation was strengthened through DUT’s role as a co-lead of the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) under Mission Innovation (MI), contributing to the UTM Action Plan and PED Sprint. DUT also engaged in discussions with the Belmont Forum, reinforcing its commitment to global urban transitions.
The DUT Roadmap, developed through collaboration, sets a strategic framework for urban transitions, guiding the three Transition Pathways (TPs): Positive Energy Districts (PED), 15-Minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE). Annual Work Programmes were co-created and approved.
R&I activities advanced significantly, with 48 projects funded under DUT Call 2022 and 42 projects selected under DUT Call 2023, demonstrating strong engagement from urban stakeholders.
Stakeholder engagement remained a priority, with the DUT City Panel involving over 50 municipalities in strategic planning and peer learning. Workshops and conference sessions mobilized stakeholders, while AGORA Dialogues provided platforms for exchange. The Urban Doers Booklet & Community was piloted to empower local initiatives.
DUT also contributed to capacity-building by organizing workshops for civil servants on funding and governance, supporting the Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) as an observer, positioning DUT as a knowledge provider, and joining three UA Partnerships (Building Decarbonisation, Cities of Equality, and Greening Cities). DUT provided training on Urban Living Labs during the French EU Council Presidency and participated in joint events with the Swedish EU Presidency.
International cooperation was strengthened through DUT’s role as a co-lead of the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) under Mission Innovation (MI), contributing to the UTM Action Plan and PED Sprint. DUT also engaged in discussions with the Belmont Forum, reinforcing its commitment to global urban transitions.
The DUT Partnership focuses on funding transdisciplinary research and facilitating the implementation of innovative urban solutions. Efforts are underway to connect innovations with potential investors, support commercialization, and improve financing access.
DUT works with policymakers to enable a supportive regulatory framework, encourage standard development, and expand international cooperation to share best practices globally. It also aims to enhance mechanisms for translating research into actionable insights and to develop monitoring systems to track project impacts.
DUT works with policymakers to enable a supportive regulatory framework, encourage standard development, and expand international cooperation to share best practices globally. It also aims to enhance mechanisms for translating research into actionable insights and to develop monitoring systems to track project impacts.