How can cities establish governance structures that not only coordinate stakeholders, but actually support the delivery and replication of Positive Clean Energy Districts?
On 13 October 2026, the fifth edition of the ASCEND Café brought together ASCEND and its EU-funded sister projects POCITYF, NEUTRALPATH and ARV to exchange practical experience on the governance, implementation and replication of Positive Energy Districts and Positive Clean Energy Districts.
The discussion looked beyond individual technologies and solutions to explore how PEDs and PCEDs are organised, coordinated and delivered in practice. POCITYF reflected on lessons from its PED demonstrations in Évora and Alkmaar, including implementation experiences and challenges. ARV brought perspectives from the development of climate-positive circular communities, with a focus on governance and stakeholder coordination, while NEUTRALPATH shared practical experience with governance structures in cities including Vantaa and Ghent.
From ASCEND, the session explored different dimensions of governance and replication. The discussion included effective governance structures for delivering PCEDs at district scale, the role of urban orchestration in Lyon Confluence, and Prague’s Replication Master Plan, which is being developed to support the adaptation and application of PCED approaches across different districts. Together, the contributions provided different perspectives on what can be transferred between cities and what needs to be adapted to local governance, institutional and urban contexts.
The session featured contributions from:
- Humberto Queiroz (EDP / POCITYF),
- Paula Vega (threeoclock / NEUTRALPATH),
- Kelly Riedesel (NTNU / ARV),
- Philippe Fournand (BLS / ASCEND),
- Etienne Vignali (SPL Lyon Confluence / ASCEND),
- Michal Kuzmic (CVUT Prague / ASCEND)
The Café was moderated by Veronika Cerna (TWNTY / ASCEND).
Missed the session or would like to revisit the discussion? Watch the full recording of the ASCEND Café and follow us on YouTube!
