A forward-looking panel discussion at the Smart Cities Expo World Congress 2024 in Barcelona spotlighted the transformative role of Positive Energy Districts in addressing climate challenges and fostering smarter, more inclusive urban communities. The Building Better Cities in Europe through Positive Energy Districts agora session showcased how innovative PED models can transition from pilot projects to everyday urban development practices that can help to reshape European cities.

Moderated by Veronika Cerna of the ASCEND project,  Scalable Cities Secretariat, and Twenty Communications, the session brought together experts from CARTIF, RESPONSE, ATELIER and POCITYF, and focused on the urgency of scaling PEDs to mitigate climate change and create resilient living spaces.

The session featured insights from four experts: 

Cecilia Sanz Montalvillo, Project Coordinator from CARTIF, an ASCEND project partner, emphasised the transformative impact of PEDs in cities such as Oulu, Finland  and Groningen, Netherlands, highlighting the goal of creating sustainable and inclusive urban environments where citizens thrive in smart, resilient communities.

Monjur Murshed, Senior Project Manager at EIFER,  shared valuable experiences from the RESPONSE project in PED implementation in Dijon, France and Turku, Finland and outlined how these initiatives are helping cities reduce carbon footprints while integrating advanced energy solutions.

Frans Verspeek, from the ATELIER Project, detailed PED advancements in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Bilbao, Spain, and addressed how local collaboration and innovative technologies are ensuring PEDs contribute to long-term urban sustainability.

Humberto Queiroz, Project Manager from PED, presented success stories from the POCITYF Project in Évora, Portugal and Alkmaar, Netherlands, with a focus on overcoming regulatory and financial barriers to replicate PEDs in cities of varying scales and capacities.

PEDs are a pathway to transform cities into hubs of innovation while ensuring livable, sustainable environments for citizens. The panellists underscored that creating resilient communities is no longer optional but essential in addressing climate change and concluded with a unified message: Positive Energy Districts must transition from innovative pilots to foundational elements of urban planning.