Time schedule

The preliminary programme for the 2023 edition of the Sustainable City Summer School is below. All items are subject to change.

Students will complete readings and a pre-assignment to explore sustainability in their own city. The activities on these days will be completed entirely online.

Chair: Tine Compernolle

• 9:00 – 9:15 - Welcome and introductions: USI co-director, IMDO chair
• 9:15 – 10:15 - Social activity: getting to know each other
• 10:15 – 10:30 - Coffee break
• 10:30 – 12:00 - Lecture 1: "Overview of urban sustainability, frameworks and the need for an integrated approach" (Roeland Samson, UAntwerp)
• 12:00 – 12:30 - Assignment: Introduction to group assignments and identification of topics
• 12:30 – 13:30 - Lunch
• 13:30 – 14:45 - Lecture 2 on energy transitions in an urban context (TBA)
• 14:45 – 15:00 - Coffee break
• 15:00 – 16:15 – Lecture 3: "Energy efficiency measures to improve livelihoods, reduce deforestation and promote peace" (Marijke Verpoorten, Nik Stoop and Lara Collart, UAntwerp)
• 16:15 – 17:30 – Lecture 4: "District heating" (Hartwin Leen, Kelvin Solutions)

Chair: Ann Crabbé​​

• Lectures on water management, governance and policy in an urban environment
• Excursion to a water management project in Antwerp

Chair: Lieven Bervoets​

• Lectures on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services, and nature in cities
  • Confirmed: "Research agenda on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in European cities" (Pedro Pinho, cE3c & CHANGE, University of Lisbon)
• Excursion to an urban nature project in Antwerp
  

• Lectures on waste management, product design and construction in the context of urban circularity
• Preliminary work on group assignments
  

Chair: Pieter Cools​

• Lectures on social inequalities, public participation, social engagement and citizen science
  • Confirmed: "Public participation on urban sustainability projects" (Wouter Van Dooren, UAntwerp)
• Excursion to social engagement project in Antwerp
  

• Excursion to a water management project
• Guided work on group assignments
  

Chair: Esther Van Zimmeren​

• Lectures on commons in relation to a variety of sustainable topics
• Excursion to a commons project in Antwerp
• Guided work on group assignments
  

• Workshop on communicating science to practice
• Guided work on group assignments
  

• Guided work on group assignments
• Excursion to circularity project in the Flemish city Leuven
  

• Lectures on an integrated view of urban sustainability
• Final presentations of group assignments