Sure Solutions, Knowledge Transfer for Sustainable Development of Urban Regions

Discover the SURE Solutions magazine—where urban challenges meet innovative solutions. Join the Urban Library event to explore how cross-border collaboration can drive sustainable growth in Southeast Asia and China!

Agota Barabas

Facilitator

Katharina Borgmann

Facilitator

November 6, 2024 | 13:30 - 14:30

Urban Library - room B

Hafencity University Hamburg

Germany

English

Reference:

UL-B 11

WUF12

Urban Library

Summary

Cities and urban regions are not just abstract numbers or diagrams; they are shaped by local qualities: interactions, traditions, architectural styles, and social structures. These elements come together, often messily, influenced by pressures like migration, climate change, and labor market dynamics. Urban agglomerations evolve rapidly, frequently without planning. To address these challenges, the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the "Sustainable Development of Urban Regions" (SURE) program, funding ten research projects in Southeast Asia and China, alongside the Facilitation and Synthesis Research (F&SR) project. SURE Solutions, a popular science magazine, was created to share research insights and offer practical solutions for resilience and sustainability in urban development.

SURE Solutions is more than just a publication—it’s a dynamic knowledge platform offering concrete solutions for sustainable growth across eight Southeast Asian and Chinese regions. The magazine tackles the complexities of urban challenges, with each volume focusing on transdisciplinary issues and sustainability strategies. Through knowledge-sharing, SURE Solutions delivers actionable insights for building urban resilience.
The upcoming Urban Library event, tied to the magazine’s launch, will foster discussions on cross-sector collaboration, localizing global agendas, and tackling urbanization challenges. Storytelling and panel discussions will highlight how innovative partnerships and collaboration models, such as co-visioning workshops and the reflection toolbox, can integrate local knowledge. Building a strong community of knowledge and practice is key to addressing these pressing urban challenges effectively.

Objectives

The Urban Library event aims to launch SURE Solutions' popular sciences magazine and facilitate discussions on effective collaboration formats in cross-border urban research, fostering the localisation of global agendas. Through storytelling and panel discussions, the event seeks to showcase tangible solutions from Southeast Asian and Chinese regions. The event's main objective is to engage the audience and foster discussion on practical collaboration formats in cross-border urban research. SURE F&SR's work has highlighted challenges like creating a common language and promoting unbiased listening and a solution-driven mindset, necessitating new collaboration formats. Sub-objectives of the event aim to showcase practical experiences and formats for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation collaboration, bridging cultural and disciplinary challenges. And to provide a platform for exchanging knowledge transfer formats for sustainable urban region development. We present practical project experiences like co-visioning workshops uniting diverse actors across boundaries, and regional networking forums fostering exchange (e.g., flood risk reduction) and potential interprovincial cooperation. At an abstract level, the SURE Toolbox integrates reflective practice into transdisciplinary project work. The goal is to provide a platform for exchanging suitable formats for knowledge transfer in the context of sustainable urban region development, bridging cultural and disciplinary silos.