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Reimagining Cities
Hit hard by what was revealed to be primarily an urban pandemic, cities across the world have been harnessing the potential of their proximity with residents, the private sector, and civil society to deploy rapid, innovative, and cost-effective solutions. Most of this innovation is likely to continue as part of a broader movement led by numerous mayors committed to boldly re-directing urban development towards environmental sustainability, social equality, and resilience.
Designed by Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, chair of Urban Flag and instructor of City Diplomacy at Sciences Po – PSIA, the École Polytechnique, and Columbia in Paris, this conference series aims to engage distinguished mayors, scholars, practitioners, and students in a global discussion on the future of urban life in a post-pandemic world.
The five 90-minute conferences will take place on Zoom, with recordings made available after the event. Free participation upon registration.
Sessions:
- March 16, 2021 | 6 pm (Paris): The rise of city diplomats [recording]
- April 8, 2021 | 5 pm (Paris) | 11 am (New York): Nations talk, cities act? How the pandemic enhanced the international role of cities [recording]
- May 4, 2021 | 6 pm (Paris) | 12 pm (New York): Reimagining urban diversity. The impact of the urban intercultural approach during and after the outbreak [recording]
- June 8, 2021 | 6 pm (Paris) | 12 pm (New York): Reimagining urban sustainability. The future of urban environmentalism [recording]
- July 8, 2021 | 6 pm (Paris) | 12 pm (New York): Reimagining smart cities. The value of smart technologies in a pandemic and post-pandemic city [recording]
The series is co-organized with the Paris School of International Affairs Sciences Po, Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris, and Columbia Global Centers | Paris. Co-sponsored by the Alliance Program and Urban Flag.
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Cities as Public Diplomacy Actors
This seminar examines the growing importance of neoliberal pivot within the emergence of city diplomacy, from Europe and North America.
About this event
This research seminar will examine the recent trend of city administrations as international actors of growing importance and thus the emergence city diplomacy. Using their expertise from Europe and North America, Amiri and Kihlgren Grandi will examine the neoliberal pivot within city diplomacy over the last thirty years arguing that, while opportunities for networking and investment may have improved, the ability of the city to act as an independent unit of foreign policy distinct from its parent state has been compromised. This is particularly important when it comes to the likelihood of cities to act morally on the international stage or simply to include moral principle within their outputs.
Our speakers:
Sohaela Amiri – University of Southern California
Sohaela Amiri is Research Associate at the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) and a PRGS Fellow at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Amiri’s research focuses on US city diplomacy as a contributor to US statecraft. She is the co-editor (with Efe Sevin) of the book City Diplomacy: Current Trends and Future Prospects (2020).
Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi – Urban Flag and Sciences Po, Paris
Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi is the director of the City Diplomacy Lab at Columbia Global Centers | Paris and a lecturer in City Diplomacy at Sciences Po – PSIA and École Polytechnique. He chairs Urban Flag and the Working Group on Globalization, Territories, and Integration at the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA). Author of City Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020), he holds a dual Ph.D. in Political Theory from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS).
Colin Alexander – Nottingham Trent University
Colin Alexander is Senior Lecturer in Political Communications at Nottingham Trent University, UK. His expertise surrounds the historical and contemporary international communications of Asian governments, with a particular interest in imperialism and north-south issues. He is the author of two monograph books: ‘China and Taiwan in Central America: Engaging Foreign Publics in Diplomacy’ (2014) and ‘Administering Colonialism and War’ (2019) and is the editor of The Frontiers of Public Diplomacy (2021).
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Culture as a Distinctive Element of Cities
BOOK PRESENTATION AND ROUND TABLE | IN ITALIAN
Organized by Bocconi University + Milano UNESCO Creative City of Literature + Egea
The role of cities on the world stage is changing, with more and more urban centers capable of asserting themselves as engines of change inside and outside their borders. In a context characterized by extreme volatility and controversies, the ability of municipalities to build profitable international dialogues between a multiplicity of local identities is fundamental today. And culture, which has always been an integral part of urban identity, is a key element in the framework of the international strategies of municipalities.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network is one of the most important instances of structured collaboration between international organizations and municipal governments. Born to foster cooperation between cities for which creativity is a strategic element in sustainable urban development, the network allows its members to exchange innovative practices to make creativity and cultural industries crucial drivers of their development plans.Speakers:
Cristiano Casa Deputy Mayor, City of Parma (UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy)
Francesco De Biase City of Torino (UNESCO Creative City of Design)
Paola Dubini Bocconi University
Federica Forti Deputy Mayor, City of Carrara (UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art)
Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi Author, Diplomazia delle città. Strumenti e pratiche per una centralità strategica internazionale (Egea) and Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Stefano Parise Director, Area Biblioteche, City of Milano (UNESCO Creative City of Literature)
Vittorio Salmoni National coordinator, UNESCO network of Italian Creative Cities
Monica Sciajno City of Torino (UNESCO Creative City of Design)
Gianmario Verona Rector, Bocconi University