RESPONSE - Integrated Solutions for Positive Energy and Resilient Cities
RESPONSE aims to establish a strategic vision for smart cities energy transition towards climate-neutrality by 2050. The overall focus of the project is to create resilient and safe cities whilst increasing the quality of life and lowering the impacts of climate change.
At the core of the project are positive energy blocks (PEBs) and districts (PEDs), which are developed in the lighthouse cities of Turku and Dijon (France). Six other cities across Europe are involved in the project as Fellow cities. RESPONSE brings together 10 integrated solutions, which consist of 86 elements including tools, methods and technologies, and which are demonstrated in the selected PEBs and PEDs in the project cities. In Turku, the Student Village has been chosen as the PED area.
The solutions are aimed at e.g. improving energy efficiency of new retrofitted building stock, reducing the CO2 emissions of electricity grids and heating and cooling networks and providing flexibility of the energy systems. Also, the better integration of city ecosystems is promoted by extending the services offered by city information platforms (CIPs) and improving the better integration of e-mobility to the grid and city planning.
In addition to technical innovations and solutions, citizen participation and co-creation are integral elements of the project. Citizen empowerment and awareness raising are promoted with series of events and digital tools in both Lighthouse cities. The innovative business models created in the project enable the upscale and replication of the solutions forming a validated roadmap for sustainable cities.
