UP2030 aims to support cities in driving the socio-technical transitions required to meet their climate neutrality targets by leveraging urban planning and design. Within the project city stakeholders and local authorities will be supported and guided to put neutrality on the map of their communities in day-to-day actions and strategic decisions.

Inclusive participation is key throughout the project’s full cycle of activities so that real needs of communities are reflected in the city-specific visions, and co-designed interventions maximise delivery of co-benefits. As such, UP2030 will have a measured positive impact on spatial justice in the pilots, and give the opportunity to citizens to participate in the transition by becoming agents of change themselves through their sustainable behavioural shifts.

An innovative methodology (5UP-approach: UP-dating, UP-skilling, UP-grading, UP-scaling and UP-taking) will be developed and applied through the co-development and implementation of science-based – yet practical – tools, and methods.

Making cities more connected and compact towards climate neutrality is an opportunity to make them better places to live for everyone, particularly the most vulnerable. To achieve this synergy, UP2030 will support pilot cities be deliberate towards spatial justice outcomes. Budapest, Granollers, Lisbon, Milan, Muenster, Rotterdam, Thessaloniki, Zagreb, Belfast, Istanbul and Rio de Janeiro are the cities where the project activities will be implemented.

GGGI brings its expertise in supporting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and it leads the work on financing the climate neutrality transition by developing guidelines for financial valuation, business case development and alternative financing schemes assessments. GGGI is also the liaison partner for Budapest to help the city to engage more efficiently and deeper with the project through direct support.