Cultural Actions for Urban Sustainability – Lecture at SJTU

On June 26, 2024, Irene Bianchi held a lecture titled “Cultural Actions as Urban Sustainability Drivers” as part of the course “Culture-driven Approach for Sustainability: Global Practices in the Cultural and Creative Industries” at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s SDG July Camp. This course delves into the transformative role of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The lecture addressed fundamental questions such as what makes a city “sustainable” and how cities can be transformed through cultural actions with various levels of formalization. The session catered to students from a variety of disciplinary and cultural backgrounds, emphasizing the connection between cultural initiatives and urban transformation processes.

Key principles of urban sustainability, adaptive governance, and socio-technical transition innovation were introduced, followed by an exploration of European case studies. This approach encouraged students to engage in transdisciplinary reflection.

Additionally, the lecture provided an opportunity to present findings from the MESOC project—Measuring the Social Impacts of Culture—and to introduce ongoing discussions within the NewEuropeanBauhaus PALIMPSEST project.

The course also includes contributions from experts at the University of Valencia, Politecnico di Milano, Climate Service Centre Germany, and Chole Sustainability, offering a broad range of perspectives on sustainability.

For more information about the course, visit Shanghai Jiao Tong University SDG July Camp.