ROCK project (www.rockproject.eu) is not simply a H2020-funded project under research and innovation, but it sets a ground-breaking framework for approaching Cultural Heritage in the contemporary society, taking into account its fast-changing needs and requirements, which eventually evolve into new urban challenges, but also opportunities. As a flagship project for the European Union, ROCK has given valuable input into the Partnership on Culture and Cultural Heritage, promoted by the Urban Agenda for the EU.
Since the first half of the project was oriented towards the mentoring process, which involved the transfer of knowledge and coaching from Role Model cities (Athens, Cluj-Napoca, Eindhoven, Liverpool, Lyon, Turin and Vilnius) to Replicator cities (Bologna, Lisbon and Skopje), as well as the preparation of the implementation and demonstration actions, ROCK cities are now prepared to enter the stage of experimentation with innovative tools and technologies for Cultural Heritage optimisation and regeneration. The key priorities tackled by ROCK cities count the following: resilience of cultural heritage, integration of collaborative governance models and new funding schemes, cultural heritage and environmental sustainability, as well as urban regeneration processes led by adaptive reuse of CH and creative transformation of the urban environment.
URBASOFIA’s role, beyond supporting cities in planning their actions and implementing their initiatives, lies in co-facilitating with EUROCTIES, TU/e and ICLEI, the exchange of knowledge and successful practices between ROCK cities, following a cluster approach focused on 5 key pillars:
- Participatory approaches and social inclusion;
- New governance models for creative, sustainable and circular cities;
- New tools and technologies for CH accessibility and safety perception;
- New financing and business models;
- New approaches to green-oriented city growth.
Entering its last stage of implementation, ROCK project has already produced a set of valuable outputs related to the role of Cultural Heritage as a resource for urban development whilst valorising its social and economic dimensions. In particular, you can access a wide range of communication and dissemination products, such as:
- ROCK podcasts: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/julies-bicycle/green-heritage-futures?refid=stpr;
- ROCK open webinars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxDrqMoFJAU&list=PLdI0K8eYBa65A9TW4-DU-qBJKfIzQ0WH_;
- ROCK booklets: https://rockproject.eu/uploads/news/documents/kdo0OD0PyztJnOLGsx6TAZevaGd6gguNSVxxfWAf.pdf;
Stay tuned for an intensive year with loads of outputs and result from ROCK cities and partners!
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