Resilient power: Cities rethinking the future of energy infrastructures
26. June 13:30 - 15:15
Achieving climate justice and resilience requires more than isolated projects—it demands systemic change that centres communities in the transition. This session will explore how cities can drive socio-technical transformations at the district level, using Rotterdam’s BoTu neighbourhood as a case study. Participants will receive hands-on guidance on the 5UP approach, a framework that moves beyond project-by-project interventions to a strategy-based model anchored in supportive policies, processes, and stakeholders. Through interactive discussions and a practical workbook, attendees will learn how to integrate climate neutrality, resilience, and spatial justice into urban planning. By connecting lessons from BoTu neighbourhood in Rotterdam, with structured guidance on enabling transformation, this session will empower participants to lead holistic, community-driven change in their cities.
Speakers
Architect, Veldacademie
Otto Trienekens, Architect, Veldacademie
Otto Trienekens is an architect and entrepreneur driven by a deep ambition to create healthier cities. He is co-founder of Veldacademie and has been active in the field of inner-city renewal since graduating from the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology. In his work, he collaborates with residents, local stakeholders, and professionals to address socio-spatial and sustainability challenges. A central focus of his projects is the decentralisation and redesign of urban service systems (care, education, welfare, and sports). As co-founder and board member of the Handelscompagnie Sluisjesdijk Foundation, he is involved in participatory redevelopment and placemaking of industrial heritage sites. Through his design firm Vertex Architecture and Urbanism, he focuses on innovative housing and public building projects, especially in the health and care sector. Otto also teaches at TU Delft and regularly lectures at national and international universities.
Project Manager, City of Milan
Eleonora Esposito, Project Manager, City of Milan
Eleonora Esposito is a geographer with experience in the management of environmental projects in support of public administrations. She is responsible for fundraising, project management activities and coordination of multidisciplinary working groups. She currently works for the Municipality of Milan, where she manages projects on climate mitigation and adaptation.
Project Assistant - UP2030, City of Milan
Sarah Tosca LevyA, Project Assistant - UP2030, City of Milan
Sarah Tosca Levy is an urbanist and political scientist. She has collaborated with local governments in France and Italy, and European stakeholders on sustainable and inclusive urbanism.She is currently working within the Urban Resilience Department of the City of Milan (Italy) on a variety of projects linked to mitigation and adaptation of cities to climate change.
Program Manager City Climate & Encironment, LINKS Foundation
Giulia Melis, Program Manager City Climate & Encironment, LINKS Foundation
Giulia Melis, Architect and urban planner, is Program manager of the ‘City, climate& environment’ research program at LINKS Foundation in the Future Cities and Communities domain. She is leading several projects of strategic planning and urban regeneration, from European to local level. Her main research interests include urban justice, participatory methods, spatial decision support system (sDSS), smart solutions for sustainability in urban areas, impacts of the built environment on citizens' health and inequalities, climate justice. She is currently coordinating the Just Streets (https://www.linkedin.com/company/juststreets/) project under the Mission Cities - Horizon Europe programme.
Moderator
Research Associate and Project Manager, Frauenhofer IAO
Catalina Diaz, Research Associate and Project Manager, Frauenhofer IAO
Catalina Diaz is a Research Associate and Urban Strategist in the Urban Systems department at the Fraunhofer Institute of Industrial Engineering (IAO). She holds a master’s degree in integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design from the University of Stuttgart. With a background in architecture and global project experience, Catalina specializes in sustainable development strategies and methodological processes for municipalities and urban practitioners that aim for climate neutral, just, and resilient cities.
Ms Diaz has coordinated several international projects with a focus on climate mitigation and adaptation in cities in Europe and Latin America. She also has experience developing livability strategies for public realm in Latin America and Middle East. In all projects and endeavours Ms Diaz strives for strategies and actions that engage citizens and local stakeholders in transformative urban processes.
Programs Manager, Climate Resilience, The Netherlands
Nilofer Tajuddin, Programs Manager, Climate Resilience, The Netherlands
Nilofer is an urban designer and planner whose technical experience in interdisciplinary programmes on climate resilience, energy transition and nature-inclusive cities is strengthened by participatory planning approaches. She has over 8 years of experience supporting cities in developing plans and instruments that accelerate local climate action. At Resilient Cities Network, she collaborates with city teams and stakeholders through EU funded programmes like UP2030, Commit2Green and NetZeroCities, and leads project deisgn and implementation, capacity building and delivery of technical support.
Associate Researcher, University of Stuttgart IAT
Constanza Vera, Associate Researcher, University of Stuttgart IAT
Constanza is an Associate Researcher at the University of Stuttgart IAT. Currently, she is part of the coordination team for the UP2030 project, which supports 11 cities on their journey toward climate neutrality by applying the 5UP method developed within the project. Additionally, she has collaborated on the ACCSESS project, which explores Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage technologies. Constanza has a strong interest in sustainability and biodiversity, striving to integrate these principles into her research and project work.