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Dear members and partners of ASCEND,

On behalf of the ASCEND team, we extend our gratitude to each and every one of you for your participation and engagement during our General Assembly meeting in Munich from March 6th to 8th, 2024.

The purpose of the event was not only to meet and greet but to also provide oversight of our project's roadmap, activities, scope of work and most importantly our shared ambition to accelerate Positive Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) as a cornerstone of sustainable urban development across cities in Europe. 

ASCEND, committed to fostering inclusive, resilient, and smart communities, convened a large roster of consortium members, stakeholders, city officials, partners and experts to showcase the work that is being carried out to implement the vision of PCEDs. 

The ASCEND General Assembly showcased a dynamic agenda filled with meetings, plenary sessions, and networking opportunities. Participants delved into project highlights, shared experiences, and explored innovative solutions during interactive sessions such as world cafés, workshops and solution packages discussions. 

Highlights from the event include: 

  • Reflecting on project milestones and successes achieved in the inaugural year; 
  • Stories of solutions packages, their implementation, challenges, successes, failures and differences; 
  • World cafés on citizen and stakeholder engagement, digital PCED infrastructure, energy communities, mobility and public spaces, buildings and renewables, and urban orchestrator;
  • Political session with elected officials from ASCEND cities engaging in discussions with the Advisory Board, focusing on the role of PCEDs in city climate policies and strategies for successful implementation;
  • Workshop with Stockholm representatives focusing on co-creating a PED toolkit;
  • Scaling up PCEDs focusing on the business cases and investment trends;
  • Upcoming steps to be taken with regard to the web platform, expert training, cross-collaboration and communication; 

The assembly concluded with a site visit to the PCED demonstration district in Harthof and the Domagk Park, providing participants with firsthand insights into innovative urban sustainability measures that are being taken by the City of Munich and Munich citizens. 

ASCEND extends its gratitude to all consortium members, partners, and participants for the joyful atmosphere and their contributions to the success of the General Assembly. Special thanks are extended to the City of Munich and event organizers for their outstanding support and organization. 

Looking ahead, ASCEND is determined to continue to work and deliver on its objectives as it progresses towards the forthcoming General Assembly scheduled to take place in Charleroi, Belgium.

 

(photos by Andreas Gebert)