Cyprus Forum Cities Comes to Limassol in April
Building Resilient Communities, Addressing Climate Challenges
How does innovation play a pivotal role in fostering the development of sustainable cities, and how does entrepreneurship contribute to local growth and progress? Why is technology a key factor in green mobility, enhancing connectivity in urban centres and rural areas? How do partnerships between the public, private, and academic sectors, as well as civil society, contribute to the digital transformation and development of smart cities? What role does architecture play in managing climate change and building resilient communities?
These are a few of the questions that will be addressed by Cyprus’s largest local government conference, the Cyprus Forum Cities, which is being held for the second consecutive year in Limassol on April 18-19, 2024, with free-of-charge participation. This two-day forum features high-level discussions focused on comprehensive strategies for developing smart municipalities and communities, organized by Oxygen for Democracy, in cooperation with Limassol Municipality and Cyprus University of Technology (CUT).
At the Cyprus Forum Cities, experts, and technocrats from public and private sectors, academia, and civil society will discuss the various dimensions that pertain to a common strategy for a sustainable future of cities and shaping modern and flexible local governance. Cyprus Forum Cities is the integrated 2040 series organized by Oxygono in recent years into a major local government conference in Cyprus.
The Forum’s agenda entails discussions on the role of local government in waste management and reduction, circular economy, ways to convert waste into valuable resources, sustainable tourism standards, and the importance of local communities’ active participation in promoting responsible tourism practices, protecting, and promoting cultural heritage, and ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of destinations.
In view of the European elections, forum sessions are dedicated to discussions about the EU’s role in our lives, local governance, citizens’ daily lives, especially young people, and Cyprus’s role in the EU. A unique and particularly interesting section is dedicated to the cultural capitals of Europe 2030.
This year, particular emphasis is placed on discussing the implementation of local governance reform, with current and prospective mayors, representatives from the business world, and state/semi-state institutions, as well as representatives from the Association of Municipalities and Communities. Additionally, an attempt will be made to analyse the causes of the housing crisis. Those interested can also attend the session related to the Limassol Cooling Challenge, which aims to provide pilot methods for reducing greenhouse gases due to the consumption of electric energy from non-renewable sources.
Nicolas Kyriakides, Vice President of the Board of Directors at Oxygono, commenting on this year’s program, noted: ”The goal of the Cyprus Forum Cities is to provoke thought, create discussions, and seek solutions for the challenges faced by urban and rural centres in Cyprus and to connect our cities with other cities internationally for the exchange of good practices in policy production” adding that: ”This year, the audience will have the opportunity to choose to attend some or combine discussion sessions, depending on their particular interests”.
