On March 22nd, 2024, Fundão hosted a Capacity Building Session under the auspices of the Plenty-LIFE European project, aimed at enhancing sustainable urban planning initiatives. The event drew significant attention, sustained by the presence of Fundão’s Vice-president at the opening session, underscoring the municipality’s commitment to progressive urban development.
The event continued with Module 1 focusing on Smart and Sustainable Urban Planning, attracting around 20 municipal workers from diverse departments including Urban Planning, Architecture, Green Spaces, Energy, Legal, Education, Innovation, and Tourism. EDP NEW delivered an insightful presentation on the contextual framework of smart urban planning, emphasizing strategic approaches encompassing land use planning, project assessment, governance, and resilience strategies. Attendees actively engaged in discussions regarding the integration of academia and research into municipal planning processes, highlighting key takeaways from the session.
Module 3 focussed on Integrated Spatial and Energy Planning, drawing participation from 7 citizens, though attendance was expected to be higher. Despite this, participants eagerly contributed to discussions on defining targets and fields of action, particularly within the spatial dimensions of energy demand and supply. The session featured interactive segments exploring energy consumption in mobility, electricity, heat & cold, and incorporated energy systems, followed by a Q&A session.
Throughout the event, the Plenty-LIFE consortium utilized the Feasibility Tool, which was disseminated prior this Capacity Building Session, thus leveraging insights gathered from a survey completed by 76 participants encompassing citizens and stakeholders. The tool provided invaluable data on critical topics such as energy, mobility, new economy, and urban innovation, enriching the dialogue and informing future capacity building sessions.
The Capacity Building Session in Fundão exemplified a collaborative effort towards sustainable urban planning, fostering knowledge exchange and community engagement to propel the city towards a more resilient and environmentally conscious future.
