The lecturer from UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, Lorenzo Chelleri, argues that it is necessary to work towards a new model of urban governance that integrates coordinated policies for tackling both the effects of the climate crisis and the health crises sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the view he presented at two international conferences in recent weeks: the 2nd International Disaster and Resilience Congress held from 13 to 15 October, organised by Eskişehir Technical University in Turkey and titled “Resilience of/in Megacities”; as well as the Closing Plenary at the URCC 2020: Urban Resilience in a Context of Climate Change Conference held in Barcelona between 20 and 21 October as part of the RESCCUE (Resilience to Cope with Climate Change in Urban Areas) project, in which Barcelona, Lisbon and Bristol have all participated over the past four years. 

In his talks, Lorenzo Chelleri highlighted the need to bridge the current gap between research and governance and urban planning policies with a view to addressing the challenges cities are facing in this dual climate and health crises. “We are facing a historical moment in which a number of urban dynamics in the realm of work-related mobility and the centre-periphery relationship are collapsing. This generates the need to change the management model and presents new challenges for urban and territorial governance. We cannot resist this change, rather we need to implement a new model for urban management and planning, favouring a transition through a territorial lens, prioritising sustainability and quality of life", stated the professor. 

At the RESCCUE conference in Barcelona, lecturer Lorenzo Chelleri also supported five students from the UIC Barcelona Master’s Degree in City Resilience Design and Management in presenting the results from a joint research project on the crucial role transformations of public spaces within the new model of pandemic - and climate change - resilient cities.