11 News
Webinars on the Future of Urban Agriculture
Join this webinar series that will explore the multifaceted realm of urban agriculture. Delve into the intersections of innovation and legislation, culture, and education and science, and discover how they collectively shape the future of urban farming. Whether you are an urban agriculture enthusiast, policy-maker, community leader, educator, or simply curious about the future of our cities, these webinars offer a unique opportunity to gain insights, share experiences, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of urban agriculture. We look forward to your presence at these enlightening events as we collectively cultivate a sustainable and vibrant urban future. Webinar 1: “Cultivating Change: The Future of Urban Agriculture in the Nexus of Innovation and Legislation” When: Jun 8, 2023 11:00 AM Riga/Helsinki Register in advance for this webinar: https://ej.uz/f3bu In this webinar, we will unravel the transformative power of innovation and legislation in urban agriculture. Explore cutting-edge technologies, practices, and policies that are revolutionizing urban farming. Gain insights into how innovation maximizes food production, enhances sustainability, and ensures resilience. Discover the crucial role of legislation in creating an enabling environment for urban agriculture to flourish. Join us to be part of the conversation shaping the future of our cities through urban farming. Webinar 2: “Cultivating Community: The Future of Urban Agriculture in Connection with Culture” When: Jun 8, 2023 02:00 PM Riga/Helsinki Register in advance for this webinar: https://ej.uz/c52y Join us for an inspiring webinar that explores the profound relationship between urban agriculture, culture, and community-building. Discover how urban agriculture can strengthen community ties, celebrate cultural diversity, and foster social cohesion. Learn about the transformative power of community gardens, rooftop farms, and urban farming projects in promoting healthy lifestyles, preserving cultural heritage, and connecting people with nature. Be part of this conversation as we cultivate vibrant communities through the lens of culture and urban…
08 - 09 June 2023 - Webinar
EU versus National Climate Policies in the Nordics
In 2021, the EU decided to set more ambitious targets for the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, including a 55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review explores the implications of this new Fit for 55 package for the Nordic countries.
- 08 May 2023
- Launch of the publication
Agenda 2030: Empowering youth for more sustainable communities
Youth engagement has become a priority issue for local decision-makers who strive to create more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant communities, in line with the global Agenda 2030. But how can municipalities reach and engage youth? How can youth have real influence over decisions that concern them? How do you set expectations right and follow up in an inclusive way? Many Nordic municipalities have developed practical tools, event formats, and processes that ensure systematic engagement and follow-up. Learn more about these examples, and ask your questions during the webinar with the following featured municipalities and NGO’s: Gladsaxe, DK – Line Vind Hafnarfjörður, IS – Elín Helga BjörnsdóttirWays to include youth in local SDG work and become a UN child-friendly city in line with the Convention of the Rights of the child Tierp, SE – Sara SjöqvistHow to engage youth in dialogue on mental health, and digital dialogue methods through the new app Young in Tierp Korsholm, FI – Ulrica TaylorWays of empowering children and youth in municipal Agenda 2030 work Future Minds, SE – Caroline BodinHigh school hackathons as a method for youth to engage in solving local SDG challenges Youth 2030, SE– Frank Berglund, commentatorNGO engaged in increasing youth influence in society Event outline Welcome and intro to the topic 5×10 minutes presentation plus Q&A Panel discussion with presenters and invited commentator Final reflections The webinar will be recorded, and presentations will be shared afterward. The event is part of Nordregio’s peer-to-peer learning project to support the implementation of Agenda 2030 at the local level across the Nordics. The project is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
- 26 April 2023
- Webinar
Nordregio at Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD
Nordregio and the Youth for Sustainable Living project will be present during Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD in Copenhagen on 21-22 April. Through funding from Sustainable Living, four youth organisations will participate and promote different aspects of sustainability during the event. ReGeneration 2030 You have the power to fight for a better future! We need collective youth power for system change, and ReGeneration 2030 will help you to find a role in the sustainability movement that suits you. Learn more about tangible actions and find out more about different youth sustainability organisations in different regions, and participate in creating an interactive artwork piece in the container to demonstrate your commitment to fighting climate change collectively. Visit their container: Friday at 14-19 and Saturday at 13-19, Sustainability & Future theme area. Listen to their talk: Friday, April 21, at 17-17.30, Sustainability & Future stage. ReGeneration 2030 is a youth movement for sustainability in the Nordic and Baltic Sea region, bringing activists aged 15-30 from across the region together to share knowledge and strategize. ReGeneration 2030 is on a mission to fight climate collapse and build a sustainable future for all. Tænketanken Frej Can we on the one hand be climate heroes who lead the way and on the other hand, be some of those who burden the planet the most? Tænketanken Frej focuses on food consumption and changes in food culture among young people. Is it really up to the individual to make a difference, or is it up to the system and political regulation to change the world? The panel debate on the stage engages several representatives and involves the audience. In their container, you can pop by for legume bingo, taste plant-based drink options and get to know more about their climate footprint. Visit their container: Friday at 14-19 and Saturday…
- 21 - 22 April 2023
- Conferences
- Other
Nordic workshop: Behaviour change for sustainable food consumption
What can be done to shift Nordic diets to become healthier and more sustainable? What policies can enable behaviour change among Nordic citizens to adopt better diets? Join us in this Nordic workshop for discussions and insights about measures that can facilitate change in people’s behaviour, as well as structural factors affecting the implementation of sustainable and healthy dietary guidelines. The purpose of this workshop is to provide insights on and discuss measures that can stimulate behavioral change among consumers when it comes to food choices and dietary habits, as well as contribute to implementation of the upcoming Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR2022). Registration is now open. When registering, please indicate whether you will attend physically in Stockholm or online. Register here!
- 29 March 2023
- Workshop
Policy workshop: Integrating Climate into Macroeconomic Modelling
How to use models to make informed policy decisions: Tracking progress towards Fit for 55 and REPowerEU The goal of the workshop series is to facilitate exchange on the current challenges in relation to the use of modelling tools in each stage of the policy cycle, design, planning and evaluation. This second policy workshop focuses on the monitoring interface from the perspective of policy makers and modellers. It discusses how such interface could be improved in the future. Using the new EU Energy Directive as a framing policy, the examples presented and discussed in the workshop will illustrate how counterfactual analyses can support decision making processes on energy taxation and subsidies. The presentations will also shed light on the challenges of multilevel governance structures involving local, national and EU levels, often with disconnected goals and challenges. The framing policy questions are as follows: How to use models to make informed policy decisions (decide on what to do and how to do it at various levels)? How to use models to evaluate policy decisions (monitoring and evaluation)? Agenda 13:00 Welcoming words from the Integrating Climate into Macroeconomic Modelling (ICMM) Project 13:05 Using models to make informed policy decisions: Overarching comments drawing on Finland’s national climate policy Magnus Cederlöf (Senior advisor at the Ministry of Environment in Finland; member of the Nordic Working Group on Environment and Economy) 13:20 Trade-off between assessing policy compliance vs providing insights to policy makers: Case study1: Saving energy or saving effort? Decomposing effect of an energy savings policy Case study 2: How time affects the quality of new model results and the value of new model results to policy makers differently Kristoffer Steen Andersen (Danish Energy Agency) 13:50 Short break 13:55 Open Debate 14:25 Wrapping up and practical information 14:30 Meet the expert session …
- 27 March 2023
- Webinar
ARENA: Who drives the ‘Green innovation’?
A systems approach to green innovation: the case of wood construction Green innovations contribute to implementing the so-called ‘green agenda’ or ‘green transition’. On a broader scale, they are meant to address issues emerging from environmental crisis. But who is driving green innovation processes, and what enables or hinders the green transition? Welcome to the digital seminar and discussion on the 20th of March, 10:00-11:30 CET. This event launches a publication ‘Innovation Dynamics in Wood Construction in Sweden and Finland’ and uses it as a springboard to discuss the complexity around innovation in (green) industry transitions. The discussion will feature different perspectives on green innovations in the wood sector. Programme Presentation of the historical evolution of innovation policy and its academic debate: Mari Wøien Meijer, Research Fellow, Nordregio. The presentation is available here. Presentation of the case study report: Alberto Giacometti & Hilma Salonen, researchers, Nordregio. The presentation is available here. Commentators: Therese Kreisel, Head of Urban Planning, Skellefteå Municipality Ida Andersson, Senior Lecturer at Örebro University Moderator: Anna Lundgren, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Discussion: We welcome the audience to participate with their questions to the panel! About the project The research project ‘Systems perspectives on Regional Green Innovation’, investigates the link between agency and innovation and particularly the role of different actors in driving transition processes. During the first stage, we explored key concepts, their application, and theoretical foundations within innovation and policy traditions. The next steps in this project will consist of identifying key learnings to inform policy makers on how to support innovation in green industrial transitions. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers Regional Cooperation programme.
- 20 March 2023
- Webinar
Service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areas
Service provision is one of the key factors that make rural areas attractive and viable. Nordregio’s new report on the issue, “Service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areas,” aims to create knowledge and inspire actors in and around the Nordic rural areas. We invite you to participate in a workshop on 16 February, where we will present the report results and discuss and develop new policy recommendations. What: Workshop on service provision and access to services in Nordic rural areasWhen: 16 February, 14-15.30 CETWhere: Online (Zoom link will be sent to participants after registration) Preliminary agenda 14.00: Introduction and presentation of the report – Ágúst Bogason, Research Fellow at Nordregio14.20: Breakout rooms and time for discussion of the policy recommendations15.15: Wrap up
- 16 February 2023
- Webinar
CITY TALKS 1-2-3: Espoo, Täby, Stavanger and Vilhelmina share experiences on green urban planning
NORDGREEN – Smart Planning for Healthy and Green Nordic Cities project invites Nordic city planners and developers, architects, healthcare sector representatives and governance enthusiasts to join Friday morning webinar series CITY TALK 1-2-3 where four cities share learning on: CITY TALKS 1-2-3 10 February, Engaging youth in planning – Espoo broke all records with an online tool 28 April, How to use and connect green spaces and health indicators in city planning 22 September, How can green spaces improve health? Stavanger explores new design methods CITY TALK 1: Engaging youth in planning – Espoo broke all records with an online tool10 February 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h in FI)Aalto University, City of Espoo, Nordregio This webinar shares how the city of Espoo gathered over 6,000 respondents of which over 2,000 were children and youth. This led to over 70,000 map markings via PPGIS surveys making this the largest citizen survey ever made in Finland. How did Espoo manage to work with schools and activate the youth? In this webinar, Espoo shares its success factors, which lie mainly in the process and smart collaboration. CITY TALK 2: How to use and connect green space and health indicators in city planning28 April 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h in FI)Norwegian University of Life Sciences NMBU, City of Täby, Nordregio Local authorities need knowledge, tools, and indicators in order to develop and manage green spaces in a way that can effectively promote health and well-being for the urban dweller. During this city talk, the researchers and planners will share their experiences and discuss the use and applicability of objective and perceived green space and health indicators for planning purposes. CITY TALK 3: How can green space improve health? Stavanger explores new design methods22 September 2023, 9.00-10.00 CET (+1h FI)Nordregio, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, The…
- 10 - 22 September 2023
- Webinar
Digital launch of Nordregio Forum!
Did you miss an opportunity to join an in-person Nordregio Forum last November? During the past forum, we delved into the green transition topic and what it means for jobs and cities in the Nordic region. But what happened in Hamar does not need to stay only in Hamar. We would like to share inspirational keynotes, discussions and Nordic examples with you! Three steps towards the digital launch: Sign up for a digital launch of Nordregio Forum; On 31 January, check your e-mail inbox just before lunch (Stockholm time); Reserve a few hours to explore Nordic ideas on addressing the green transition challenges in the labour market and the cities. Mismatch in the labour market Nordic labour markets are challenged by a number of trends, of which the ageing population, digitalization, mismatch between competencies available vs needed, and the green transition stick out as perhaps the most important. How can regions adapt to demographic challenges, and rapid social and technological changes in the labour market? How can we achieve regional labour markets that are both sustainable and inclusive? What does the green transition mean to different regional labour markets? During the inspirational keynote, meet Even Aleksander Hagen (Innlandet County Mayor) – the youngest mayor in Norway with a strong vision on how to develop the inclusive and sustainable region of Innlandet. The panel discussion will set the scene on what kind of labour mismatches exist. Why? And what are the potential solutions? A variety of angles are discussed by researchers and practitioners from all around the Nordics, among others Marit Lofnes Mellingen (The Centre of Competence on Rural Development, Norway), Kresten Olesen (RegLab, Denmark), Jukka Teräs (Norrum Oy, Finland) and Jimmy Sand (The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research/NIKK – Nordic Information on Gender, University of Gothenburg). The research insights session overviews the status quo and potential of Nordic competence mobility by Anna Lundgren and Ágúst Bogason (Nordregio). Nordic Solutions invites you on an inspiring…
- 31 January 2023
- Nordregio forum
FUME: Policy workshop on migration drivers and scenarios
Today, approximately 3.4% of the world’s population are international migrants – they have left the country they were born in and settled in a new country. Population growth, increased mobility through rising income in poorer countries, political unrest and climate change are among the factors that are expected to expand the group of people moving from one place to another. The question is, to what extent do these factors affect the motivation to migrate and the choice of destination? The policy workshop aims to gather researchers, policy makers and organisations engaged with the migration topic, to hear about the latest studies on migration drivers and scenarios, as well as contribute to the development of policy recommendations. Nordregio hosts the workshop which is a part of the Horizon 2020 project FUME – Future migration scenarios for Europe. FUME focuses on understanding the patterns, motivations and modalities of migration at multiple geographical scales, from international through regional to the local level, and on imagining possible futures scenarios of migration to Europe: https://futuremigration.eu/about-us/ Registration: Click here to register for the event Venue: Online Date and Time: 13 January 2023, 9:30 – 12:00 CET Length: 2 hours 15 min Preliminary programme INTRODUCTION Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Nordregio – moderator About the FUME projectCarsten Kessler, FUME project lead PART 1 – MIGRATION DRIVERS Considering migration – future migrants’ perspectives. Lessons learned from the case studies in Senegal, Iraq, Tunisia and UkraineKarolina Sobczak-Szelc, Cracow University of Economics Once in Europe – new emerging destinations – case of Poland, results from the survey conducted in CracowJan Brzozowski, Cracow University of Economics EU policies steering different migration scenarios – Delphi study presentationArkadiusz Wisniowski, University of Manchester Scenarios steering international migration – academic perspectivesDilek Yildiz, IIASA PART 2 – DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FUME Policy recommendationsTimothy Heleniak & Nora Sánchez Gassen, Nordregio Panel discussion: HumMingBird: Sinem Yilmaz, Policy Analyst…
- 13 January 2023
- Workshop
Can digital tools reduce loneliness among older adults?
Experiences from three Swedish cities and Nordic research Welcome to join Nordregio and the Nordic Welfare Centre in a discussion about tools to reduce loneliness among older adults. This a timely topic post-Covid-19, which in many ways increased the social isolation among seniors. The point of departure is a new report by Nordregio, showcasing three municipalities using digital tools in elderly care – and what we can learn from their experiences. Many older adults in the Nordics feel lonely and socially isolated. Sometimes even when they live in special homes for the elderly. This has negative effects on their mental and physical health – and was further exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic when social isolation became the order of the day. The use of digital technologies within elderly care has the potential to combat social isolation, for instance, by increasing access to care services and social activities. But, until now, we have limited knowledge of the effectiveness of digital interventions. In a new report, Nordregio investigated the use of digital technologies within home care services and in caring homes in three case study municipalities in Sweden: Huddinge, Eskilstuna, and Storuman. The focus is mainly on challenges, opportunities, and solutions that have emerged during the covid-19 pandemic. The webinar will be held on 7 December 2022, 13:00-14:15 CET on Zoom. Programme 13:00 – 14:15 CET 13.00 Welcome to the programme Moderator Åsa Ström Hildestrand, Head of Communications, Nordregio 13.05 Presentation of the new report – main findings: Reducing loneliness among older adults in times of covid-19 and beyond: Experiences from three Swedish Municipalities (REDLON)Johanna Jokinen, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio Q&A with moderator and Audience 13.30 Comments on the report findings from the Nordic Welfare Centre and their project Loneliness and Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How can we prevent negative feelings…
- 07 December 2022
- Webinar
Nordregio Forum 2022: Changing Labour Markets and Greener Communities
Welcome to Hamar, Norway on November 23-24 and join us for inspirational talks, policy workshops, study tours and new research insights on timely regional development topics – mismatch in the labour market and communities in the green transition. Changing Labour Markets and Greener Communities: To adapt, or to transform? The Nordic countries are currently experiencing a shortage of qualified labour in many sectors. At the same time, some countries face a long-term unemployment issue driven by the mismatch of skills and available jobs. How can regions adapt to demographic challenges and rapid social and technological changes in the labour market? Re-starting competence mobility might be one of the answers. Mobility, urbanization and climate change are also creating the winds of change for cities: How will cities adapt and evolve to become greener, healthier, and inclusive? More information about the programme and registration will be available from mid-September. Nordregio Forum is the annual meeting place for professionals and policymakers working with regional, rural and urban development in the Nordic countries. It is a forum for exchanging ideas and trends, sharing new knowledge, examples and experiences, and pushing national and regional policy agendas while learning from each other.
- 23 - 24 November 2022
- Nordregio forum
