Dear Smart Reader,
Welcome to a new issue of our colourful newsletter!

We hope you’re safe and you’re enjoying your summer break. 

As we all know, 2020 is bound to be reminded as the year of COVID-19. However, like Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff to President Barack Obama once said: ‘Never allow a crisis to go to waste’. Last months were a real stress-test for smart cities, as we highlight in the homonym article. The current crisis is dramatic but can also be seen as a global testing laboratory.

Lots of digital innovations and smart mobility ideas bloomed in the last period and this is a sign that cities are ready to change and eager to improve their urban environment.

Indeed, this issue focuses on ICT solutions and mobility actions in our Smart Cities. Our lighthouse cities are improving their digital side and the urban mobility services: the city of Dresden is increasing multimodal mobility with several MOBIpoints around the city and the installation of fast chargers and battery storage. Valencia as well is improving its urban mobility with e-ink panels installed at multimodal points and the VeLOCK project. A transversal activity of high interest for all Smart Cities is the work on indicators to measure the citizens' response. We've also published a series of video, which are collected on the website and on our YouTube channel. 

During the lockdown, we had the pleasure to present the international role of Valencia in a joint SCC webinar to show how smart cities are responding to the COVID-19 challenge and to lead the EUSEW2020 side event about cities and the EU Green Deal where a representative from Antalya showed their new high-performance district. 

Get inspiration, tell us your stories and let your comments on our website, Twitter or LinkedIn.
The more we share, the more we learn.
Enjoy the newsletter and the summer!

Ernesto Faubel
Ayuntamiento de València
MAtchUP coordinator
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
In 2020 Spain declared a national climate emergency. As mobility plays a big role in producing greenhouse gas emissions, Madrid and Barcelona are testing blockchain technology in transport services, while Valencia is studying innovative solar-powered e-ink displays in multimodal hubs
An online panel session and debate featuring city leaders and experts from Milan, Utrecht, Skopje, Antalya and London will examine the most effective initiatives to achieve climate neutrality and a green recovery. Hosted as part of European Sustainable Energy Week 2020 – 10 June 2020 at 14:30-16:00 CET.
OVERTOURISM: CROWD CONTROL THROUGH ICT SOLUTIONS
New technologies have offered a low cost and easy way to travel, but most tourist cities are failing to keep pace with managing the increased visitor flows. However, the same ICT sector is now being called on to deliver smart solutions to deal with overtourism and avoid the congestion of city centres
OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19
The Covid-19 emergency is trialling our technologies, infrastructure and laws. In this context the EU has released a common toolbox for contact tracing apps to support gradual lifting of confinement measures. From the frantic race against time to fight off the coronavirus, we will inherit scientific and technological knowledge that could make our cities smarter and better equipped to face such global crisis in the future
CELEBRATING SOLIDARITY ACROSS EU CITIES WITH #CITYFROMMYWINDOW
Since March, lockdowns have been reinforced by numerous states in Europe. The SCC01 projects launched a social media campaign on April called #CityFromMyWindow to promote solidarity among citizens
SMART CITIES HAVE RESPONDED TO COVID-19
Smart Cities are responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in a number of ways, from monitoring traffic to increasing use of public energy data. An event recently shared how cities of the European Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse programme are tackling unprecedented challenges.
STRUGGLING WITH THE LOCKDOWN? A HASHTAG CAN HELP
Follow #SmartCitiesHelp to discover the best ideas EU smart cities offer to better deal with the everyday challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic
CITIES CORNER
MOBILITY IN DRESDEN IS SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE
The video published by our German partner DREWAG, shows the peculiarity of the battery storage in Fetscherplatz, that is special to all other mobility hubs in Dresden.
MATCHUP SUPPORTS THE URBAN SOLUTION FOR SAFE PARKING AND RECHARGING ELECTRIC SCOOTERS
MAtchUP sponsors the “Special UPV Challenge” mentoring price that was awarded to the members of the VeLOCK student collective last November. The winning idea presents parking and recharge service for personal mobility devices such as electric scooters. The prototype will be ready for the summer
NEWEST DRESDEN MOBILITY POINT OPENED AT FETSCHERPLATZ
Smart City EU-Project MAtchUP tests intelligent building control technology for suitability for everyday use
VIDEO CORNER
In Valencia's maritime area, state-of-the-art technologies are being used to improve energy efficiency in buildings and to change collective behaviours,
Engineers in Spain are working to produce urban models based on data from cities that have introduced innovative solutions in the energy field. The aim is to enable other towns to replicate the technologies adopted and boost smart cooperation
Take me to the video gallery
"SMART" SNEAK PEEKS
It’s time to replicate with Tampere

As part of the Tampere Smart City Week, STARDUST’s Lighthouse city of Tampere organised a series of replication workshops on January 29 and 30, for both Finnish cities and for STARDUST’s Follower cities respectively
Webinar | Citizen Participation Playbook – A roadmap to meaningful engagement

On Wednesday, 27 May 2020, Colaborativa.eu presented the Citizen Participation Playbook. The webinar aimed at municipalities and other stakeholders interested in increasing citizen engagement through robust participative processes with special emphasis on smart cities and the energy transition challenge.
Urban Regeneration Model

The Urban Regeneration Model (URM) by REMOURBAN is a methodological guide to technical and non-technical innovations for making cities smarter and more sustainable.
Initiatives launched by replicate project’s lighthouse cities during the past months

Examples of initiatives carried out by the REPLICATE Project’s cities of San Sebastián, Florence and Bristol.
SAVE THE DATE
REMOURBAN - Final Conference
16 July, 2020, 9-18 CEST, online
Discover REMOURBAN insights, experience and results
The SmartEnCity Academy for Zero Carbon Transition
Sept 2020 (Date TBC), online
Training course for cities, municipalities and smart decision making
EU Mobility Week 2020
16-22 Sept, 2020, Europe
Zero-emission mobility for all
Smart City Expo World Congress
16-18 Nov 2020, Online
Smart City Live 2020
MAtchUP Website
MAtchUP twitter account
MAtchUP LinkedIn
MAtchUP YouTube

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement N°774477. If you would like to unsubscribe click here.