Where Europe Meets the Local: Participation and Socio-Ecological Urban Transformation

How can we turn local participation and knowledge into lasting capacities for inclusive socio-ecological transformation across different scales of governance? European ambitions for a green, inclusive and democratic transition ultimately take shape in specific places, where they meet local knowledge, needs and institutional capacities. This 90-minute interactive session brings together a local authority and two universities from the PIONEER European University Alliance, connecting experiences from Isla Cristina, Huelva and Venice. Starting from Isla Cristina, where European and local initiatives have linked participatory urban planning, social inclusion, care, climate resilience and urban regeneration, the session will become a small experiment in connecting scales. Participants will bring experiences from their own cities, regions, universities and communities into the conversation. Together, we will explore three questions: Whose knowledge counts? How do we connect scales? How do we make participation last? The aim is to identify how local knowledge can influence wider decisions and how temporary participation can become a lasting capacity for collaborative governance and inclusive transformation.