Reducing pollution and improving air quality in cities is an objective usually finding widespread support across policy levels and in the population. The question of which measures and actions to take to move towards this objective on the other side are frequently leading to heated debates and even sparking opposition from different actors in form of protests, legal procedures, and other means aimed at stopping measures from being applied.

This session will take up the question of “how to get all responsible actors onboard effectively and increase public acceptance of change in public spaces?” with city representatives from urban planning. Introducing recent successful or contested examples ranging from measures such as extending biking lanes and car-free zones to renovation and refurbishment of buildings or waste and plastic regulations, cities will share recent experiences in short pitch presentations before diving into what successful mediating and conflict prevention strategies they deploy for getting everyone on board for important changes to public spaces and habits effectively.

Speakers:

• Luis Tejero Encinas, Engineer, Directorate of Sustainability and Environmental Control, City of Madrid
• Alpo Tani, Climate Change Mitigation Specialist, City of Helsinki, Finland
• David Joyce, Director of Services,  Roads and Environment Operations Directorate, Cork City Council

Moderator:

• Jennifer Baker, Freelance Journalist and Presenter
• Giorgia Rambelli, Coordinator Sustainable Resources & Climate Resilience, ICLEI Europe