About us

Our Vision

The Transforming Cities community stimulates cutting edge knowledge exchange and collaborations among Utrecht University scholars, students and societal actors interested in sustainable urban transformations to advance new ways of thinking as a basis for radical innovation and social change. Through these events and collaborations we offer alternative entry points for co-developing transformative action in cities. 

Why are new ways of thinking needed?

Although the field of sustainable urban development is rapidly evolving with many exciting advancements, current approaches often fall short of delivering the radical transformations required to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change. To truly create sustainable cities we must reframe existing debates and discourses, ensuring that our work, together with societal partners, leads to tangible, real-world impact.

How do we aim to achieve this?

Within our collaborations and knowledge exchange, our goal is to push beyond the status quo in order to identify blind spots, tackle frontier issues, and confront challenging, deep, and sometimes uncomfortable questions. By embracing these challenges, we aim to develop new ways of thinking and innovative approaches to understanding and addressing them.

In our activities and collaborations we are committed to exploring and integrating the concepts of:

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