Reimagining Cities

Exploring global trends towards a new (urban) normal

Hardly hit by what was revealed to be primarily an urban pandemic, cities across the world have been harnessing the potential of their proximity with residents, the private sector, and civil society to deploy rapid, innovative, and cost-effective solutions. Most of this innovation is likely to perdure as part of a broader movement led by numerous mayors committed to boldly re-direct urban development towards environmental sustainability, social equality, and resilience.

Designed by Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, instructor of City Diplomacy at Sciences Po – PSIA, the École Polytechnique, and Columbia in Paris, this conference series aims at engaging distinguished mayors, scholars, practitioners, and students in a global discussion on the future of urban life in a post-pandemic world.

The five 90-minute conferences will take place on Zoom, with recordings made available by Columbia and shared by partner universities through their websites and social media accounts. Free participation upon registration.

This series is co-organized by Paris School of International Affairs Sciences Po, Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris, and Columbia Global Centers | Paris. Co-sponsored by the Alliance Program and Urban Flag.

Sessions

For a little more than one century, cities around the world have been progressively building their own capacity to act internationally, to the point of profoundly impacting world politics. Yet, the role of city diplomats remains little known.

The webinar will offer a conversation between the author and five distinguished city diplomats from some of the world's most influential cities: Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, and Bogotá.

The outbreak of COVID-19 led to a hiatus in international relations. While the governmental level featured impasse (UN) and harsh negotiations (UE) to define a common strategy, the city level experienced a blossoming of initiatives aimed at harnessing the potential of collective intelligence, cooperation, and solidarity.

The majority of the over 200 active city networks deployed cooperative tools and platforms to that purpose, whose outcomes have been made readily available to the world.

What will be the impact of such an approach on the reshuffle of international relations that this pandemic seems destined to generate? Can cities stimulate a collaborative turn in international relations towards a more sustainable and just future?

As the COVID-19 pandemic reached cities across the world, diversity has emerged as both a challenge and an opportunity for city administrations. The intercultural approach, aimed at empowering minorities and unleash their contribution to society, has provided implementing cities with extra tools in response to the outbreak, as well as in planning the recovery. The conference will discuss the evolution of political and social approaches to urban diversity, exploring their potential in the foreseeable future.

What will be the long-term impact of the pandemic on urban actions to fight climate change? While urban dwellers show an increased predisposition towards bold environmental policies, thinning financial resources might render the cost of green transition unbearable to municipalities. The conference will offer insight into cities' capacity to implement a green recovery and explore the potential emerging forms of multilateral, multilevel, and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Are smart cities being safer and more resilient in dealing with the pandemic? How has this crisis impacted the global debate on big data collection and use vs. privacy protection? The conference will delve into the concrete impact of digital technologies in COVID-19 mitigation and explore their potential to boost ambitious urban recovery strategies.

SERIES ORGANIZER:

Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi is the chair of the "Globalization, Territories and Integration" Working Group at the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA), a co-founder and chair of Urban Flag, and a lecturer in City Diplomacy at Sciences Po, Columbia in Paris, and the École Polytechnique in Paris. His primary expertise and research interests are in the international action of cities and their multilateral response to global challenges such as sustainable development, intercultural dialogue, and digital transition.

Lorenzo gained extensive practical experience in these areas, serving as an officer of the City of Milan's International Relations Department and as a consultant to the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF). He is currently an advisor on city diplomacy strategies to numerous municipalities, city networks, and international organizations.

A member of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellowship Program, Lorenzo was awarded a dual Ph.D. in Political Studies from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociale (EHESS) in Paris and the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali "Guido Carli" (LUISS) in Rome. He is the author of “City Diplomacy”, the first handbook of such a practice, published by Palgrave Macmillan in December 2020.