Resilient cities - novel tools for local authorities will take place in Brussels (Belgium) on 13 January 2015. The conference is a showcase event for the TURAS project in which the Brussels Region is collaborating with 11 European cities and regions to create innovative tools in support of urban sustainable development.

TURAS undertook the initiative in response to the estimate that by 2050 an expected 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Following an assessment of potential environmental challenges European cities may face - from the loss of biodiversity, to increased flood risk - local authorities from Dublin (Ireland), Stuttgart (Germany), London (United Kingdom), Rome (Italy), Brussels (Belgium), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) will showcase the outcomes of their research at the conference. Experts will outline the tools that have been designed to assist local authorities in facing these environmental challenges, and lead dialogue on their experiences during the research period, and in their respective cities.

The event will be hosted by Brussels Environment in cooperation with the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN)at the new offices of Brussels Environment at Tour et Taxis in Brussels. The TURAS initiative is coordinated by University College Dublin (UCD) and funded by the European Commission.

For more information, contact pvandenabeele@environnement.irisnet.be or visit the resilient cities event website.