Discussions alone are no longer enough for urban problems, and the implementation of practical solutions has become a top priority.
Modern.az reports that Haris Piplas, Director for Integrated Urban Solutions in Switzerland, stated this at a panel session titled “Urban Transformation in Practice: Urban Experiences for Safe and Sustainable Communities” within the 13th session of the World Urban Forum held in Baku.
He noted that cities are part of both the problem and the solution, and approximately 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions originate in cities.
H. Piplas said that the international planning, engineering, and consulting network he leads operates with more than 6,000 employees in various cities in Europe and around the world. According to him, the organization works with multidisciplinary teams that combine urban planning, energy, transport, water management, biodiversity, and digital solutions within a unified approach.
“One of the main problems of modern cities is that planning is still fragmented and carried out in separate areas. In addition, separate planning of mobility, energy, public space, and architectural issues makes the transformation of cities difficult.”
He also touched upon the example of Berlin in his speech.
“Projects are being implemented for the re-urbanization of neighborhoods built in the 1960s-1980s, modernization of the housing stock, and multifunctional reconstruction of public spaces. In this context, the practical application of the “15-minute city” concept attracts attention.”
He also emphasized the importance of new management approaches in the context of rapidly growing cities, increasing urbanization, and changing living and working models of people:
“We can cite examples from projects implemented in Ukraine, Switzerland, and Balkan cities. Thus, the application of international experience at the local level and the exchange of knowledge between cities are considered one of the main directions of urban development policy.”
H. Piplas also provided information about the seminars held in Sarajevo, Prague, and Basel within the framework of the project. He noted that in addition to international experts, local activists, academic circles, and representatives of the private sector were also involved in the process.
“The main goal of the project is to transform existing knowledge and experience in cities into practical tools, and to bring together various parties on a single platform in the process of urban transformation.”
According to him, to understand the transformation of cities, it is important to look not only at the results but also at the causes that lead to those results. According to the expert, in this process, existing ecological, socio-economic, and spatial problems in the area should be diagnosed, and how the public sector approaches solutions, what policy and regulatory steps are taken should be analyzed.
“The most difficult stage is to determine the next steps. According to him, issues of safety, public health, and sustainability are becoming increasingly important in cities, and support is provided by the OECD in this area.
The representative cited the city of Basel in Switzerland as an example. He stated that Basel is an interesting urban planning laboratory located at the border of three countries - Switzerland, France, and Germany. The main part of the city is in Switzerland, while its surrounding areas are in France and Germany. This means that there are three different planning and management models for one functional urban area.
According to him, within the framework of the “Basel 2050” project, a bottom-up approach was applied for the future development of the city, and a common vision was formed with the participation of various stakeholders:
“The process consisted of stages of preparing an initial vision, dialogue with stakeholders, analysis of collected knowledge, and formation of the final urban vision.
Basel is also facing climate challenges. The city's location on the Rhine River increases flood risks, and since 1980, the number of hot days has tripled.
These facts show that climate change is a serious challenge not only for Global South countries but also for European cities,” he noted.
