The university is participating in a new series of meetings that connects both metropolitan areas to address more inclusive, resilient and sustainable city models
RMIT University, the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB), and the UPF-BR Chair of Metropolitan Futures have launched the Barcelona-Melbourne 2050 seminar series, a forum for exploring how both metropolitan areas can address challenges related to livability, citizen participation, and sustainability. The initiative also contributes to the Barcelona 2050 Metropolitan Vision.
The first session, dedicated to participatory urban innovation, featured Associate Professor Troy Innocent, director of RMIT's Future Play Lab. His presentation explored how urban play and participatory design can help communities imagine, experiment with, and test new ways of building the future of cities.
Drawing on experiences developed in Melbourne, Innocent demonstrated how place-based methodologies and speculative experiences can foster citizen participation in issues such as climate resilience, mobility, democratic participation, and social cohesion. These tools offer alternatives to traditional participation mechanisms, such as surveys or neighborhood meetings.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of incorporating Indigenous and local knowledge into urban planning. The series will continue with new sessions focusing on the Melbourne 2050 strategy, collaboration among different stakeholders in urban regeneration processes, and innovation districts. The conclusions of the meetings will later be compiled into a report intended to contribute to future metropolitan planning processes.
Read the news on the RMIT website
