Urban Learning Center for Eastern Partnership cities
In March 2022, FinEst Centre started a new project with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Arup and Climate KIC as a part of the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility. This project aims to Devise the Urban Learning Center (ULC), Including Adapting/Crafting the Next Generation of Local Economic Development Plans in the Eastern Partnership cities (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine).
ULC brings new learning and networking opportunities within the M4EG network providing an enabling learning ecosystem. This includes a new generation of Local Economic Development Plans, moving from a linear project to a ‘portfolio of options’ approach to tackling complex challenges, and innovation mentoring and seed-funds.
The ULC intends to introduce approaches beyond ‘business as usual’ with a range of tools and approaches with an ‘urban makeover’ intention, including such things as foresight, social and community listening, sensemaking, adaptive and agile management, learning and monitoring effects, all with a strong focus on local solutions linked to the global objectives set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its framework of SDGs.
The project will last until 2024.
The Urban Learning Center (ULC) is designed as an umbrella for various programme and learning opportunities, knowledge management and stakeholder engagement of the M4EG network. The ULC aims to be a learning ecosystem to facilitate the cooperation and learning among the members of the partnership. The main role of the FinEst Centre in this project is to develop a Smart City training module and to share our experience in developing projects and pilots. During the 1st and 2nd of March 2023 there is going to be a in person meeting at UNDP in Istanbul, Turkey, to discuss the next steps of the project.
FinEst Centre for Smart Cities contact in ULC:
Luiza Schuch de Azambuja
luiza.schuch@taltech.ee