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Publication date: 5 November 2024

Jaime Moreno-Serna, Olga Kordas, Julio Lumbreras, Åsa Minoz, Nayla Saniour and Harald Rohracher

With the overarching need for deep urban transformations worldwide, national platforms for cities have been emerging over the past few years in several European countries as a…

Abstract

With the overarching need for deep urban transformations worldwide, national platforms for cities have been emerging over the past few years in several European countries as a useful framework to support and unify the work that cities have been doing individually. In particular, Sweden and Spain have been two of the first countries where a National Cities Mission Platform has emerged, namely Viable Cities and citiES 2030. This chapter explores the emergence of these convening and intermediary vehicles, the key enablers that allowed its formation, and the rationale that consolidates it. It also delves into the distinctive value proposition of these platforms and their role in reinforcing multi-level and multi-stakeholder collaborations, facing silos in a national context, promoting cross-city stable interactions, aligning national and European initiatives toward the Cities Mission, and co-creating and consolidating the “next practices” of climate urban transitions.

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Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-420-7

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Publication date: 5 November 2024

Harald Rohracher and Olga Kordas

In this chapter, the authors present an argument and illustrations for how transdisciplinary research and education in close collaboration between universities and non-academic…

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors present an argument and illustrations for how transdisciplinary research and education in close collaboration between universities and non-academic partners in municipalities can contribute to building transformative capacities in cities to tackle grand societal challenges such as climate change. Governing transformative change requires new types of capacities and capabilities of the public sector such as new organizational structures, competencies, and administrative rules and processes. Current urban governance structures often are not adequate to deal with the type of challenges urban sustainability transitions pose: the systemic nature of the problems, the absence of clearly defined solutions in combination with a high level of uncertainty about goals and pathways to reach them, the long-time-perspective and complexity of change processes which need to involve a broad range of actors and stakeholders, or the need to work across different sectors and policy fields. Boundary-crossing research and education activities between universities and the public sector can simultaneously enhance our understanding of new governance strategies for transformative change and our joint capacity to implement them. In this chapter, the authors draw on examples of such collaborations which are dealing with key elements of urban transformative capacities such as a better understanding of systemic dimensions of change, a shift to experimental governance approaches, and at the same time systemic integration of experiments and initiatives, the development of processes for reflexive monitoring and learning, or the need to integrate policy areas such as climate and social policy.

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Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-420-7

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Article
Publication date: 5 May 2015

Karel F. Mulder, Didac Ferrer, Jordi Segalas Coral, Olga Kordas, Eugene Nikiforovich and Kateryna Pereverza

This paper aims at identifying factors that could contribute to the motivation of students in sustainable development (SD) education. The underlying idea of the paper is that SD…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims at identifying factors that could contribute to the motivation of students in sustainable development (SD) education. The underlying idea of the paper is that SD education is not always as attractive among students and lecturers as many would like it to be.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper briefly reviews literature regarding behavioral change for long-term benefits. It identifies four motivators that could be effective to make people pursue longer-term objectives. It identifies if these motivators were present in five cases of successful SD education.

Findings

The four motivators for students that were identified in the literature review (a sense of autonomy, a challenge of reflection on the future role, connection with others, self-fulfillment, focus on the individual learning need) could be observed in the cases of successful SD education, although to various degrees. Individual autonomy in learning was not observed, but group autonomy was present in all cases.

Research limitations/implications

The case studies were all electives. It is unclear how the motivators could work out in mandatory courses. Moreover, the curriculum as a whole will affect the success of single courses. Successful courses being “the exception” of the curriculum might be judged differently if they would be part of the curriculum in which such courses would be the main stream. Further research is required to check if the motivators are effective in mandatory and not specifically SD-targeted courses. It is also not clear how various motivators could be applied most effectively in a curriculum.

Practical implications

The paper gives guidance to lecturers and educational managers to design attractive and effective SD education.

Originality/value

The paper treats SD education from a novel perspective: how to convey a credible behavioral message, and how to motivate students for education for SD.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

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Book part
Publication date: 5 November 2024

Abstract

Details

Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-420-7

Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 5 November 2024

Abstract

Details

Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-420-7

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