Georgi

Birgit

Georgi

Validated Lead Expert

Generic Skills

B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:

I have a deep and broadly integrated understanding of urban environment and sustainability due to almost 25 years of work experience as project manager for urban issues and urban adaptation to climate change in the European Environment Agency (EEA) and before at the Federal Environment Agency. I worked with urban development from different perspectives: climate change adaptation and mitigation, green infrastructure and biodiversity, urban design, resource efficiency, water, noise, air pollution, urban transport and always in an integrated way under concepts like quality of life or urban rehabilitation. I worked with projects and stakeholders across Europe over the last ten years and gained, thus an understanding of urban development perspectives in different European countries. I was, e.g., responsible for the EEA landmark reports “Quality of life in Europe’s cities” and “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe”, among others. I supervised also various urban transport projects in German and other European cities and worked as a member of the evaluation committee of the European Green Capital Award and as advisor in different EU research projects such as CHAMP, SUME, RESIN. I gave numerous presentations, trainings, organised stakeholder meetings and developed further reports and tools, like the interactive map book urban vulnerability.

B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:

I have worked as a project manager or supervisor over more than 20 years at the border between science and policy with a focus on testing and delivering knowledge for local stakeholders – also the ones beyond the directly involved ones. Many of these international projects delivered reports, papers, guidance and tools that enabled learning by other stakeholders, e.g., the EEA landmark report “Ensuring quality of life in European cities” (2009) and “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe” (2012). Both are widely distributed in Europe and used by local national and European stakeholders as reference material and source of inspiration. I have also direct contact with local stakeholders by organising various European workshops and conferences, moderated and presented. E.g., I am responsible for the annual European Open Days Resilient Cities, a stakeholder event that puts staff from city administrations with their experience and needs first and enables the transnational exchange and learning. With my team, I figure out thematic needs to tailor the agenda. Interactive, open discussion are the main element, enabling us to stay close to the needs and not wasting time with less important issues. In the European Climate Adaptation Platform Climate-ADAPT, I am responsible for the design of the case studies that can inspire followers and are presented in a way that enables learning and I developed tools such as the interactive map book urban vulnerability.

B.3. Proficiency in English:

I am fluent in English and can communicate effortless in written and orally. My daily working language is English at the European Environment Agency since 2007. Also before, I developed and have used English as a working language when supervising European projects, participating in international workshops, meetings and negotiations such as being part of the German delegation in UN negotiations (Biodiversity convention), UNECE THE PEP, EC and functioning as national contact point for transport for the EEA. I have written various papers as well as several comprehensive reports in English. I have given numerous presentations in smaller and bigger workshops, meetings and also high-level European conferences to different types of stakeholders and worked at several occasions as moderator. I am also fluent (orally and written) in Danish as I have lived in Denmark for 9 years. Furthermore, I can communicate in Spanish and French.

Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:

Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:

I have worked as a project manager or supervisor over more than 20 years for border institutions that focus on testing and deliver knowledge for local stakeholders beyond the ones directly involved in the projects. Many of these international projects delivered reports, papers, guidance and tools that are intended to enable learning by other stakeholders, e.g., the EEA landmark report “Ensuring quality of life in European cities” (2009) and “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe” (2012). Both are widely distributed in Europe and used by local national and European stakeholders as reference material and source of inspiration. I organised various European workshops and conferences, moderated and presented. E.g., I am responsible for the series of European Open Days Resilient cities, a stakeholder event that puts staff from city administrations and their experience and needs in front and enables the transnational exchange and learning. With my team I try to figure out thematic needs in advance shape the agenda accordingly. Interactive, open discussion are the main element, enabling us to stay close to the needs and not wasting time with less important issues. In the European Climate Adaptation Platform Climate-ADAPT I am responsible for the design of the case studies that should inspire and be presented in a way that enables easy learning. Also, I developed the interactive map book urban vulnerability there and supported other guidance.

Thematic expertise:

Theme / Policy:

Environmental Issues

Summary Thematic expertise:

I have a deep understanding of urban environment and sustainability as part of my education as a landscape architect, my long-term work as project manager for urban issues and urban adaptation to climate change in the EEA since 2007 and before at the Federal Environment Agency of Germany on ecological planning since 1991. Sub themes are green infrastructure, urban design, resource efficiency, climate change adaptation and mitigation, water, noise, air pollution and urban transport. I was, e.g., responsible for the EEA landmark reports “Quality of life in Europe’s cities” and “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe” that analysed comprehensively the current situation of cities across Europe and are widely distributed and used. Work included analysing current research and literature as well as finding illustrative case studies making all this accessible for practical work. I worked a member of the evaluation committee of the European Green Capital Award and as advisor in different EU research projects such as CHAMP, SUME, RESIN. I gave numerous presentations, trainings, organised stakeholder meetings and developed further reports and tools, like the interactive map book urban vulnerability. As project manager, I develop the concepts, elaborate substantial parts of the projects, and communicate and promote the capitalization of the results. With my multiple stakeholder contacts, I gained a broad experience of practice, challenges and solutions across Europe.

Theme / Policy:

Sustainable Urban Mobility

Summary Thematic expertise:

I gained a substantial understanding when working on urban mobility 2002-2007 in the Federal Environment Agency, Germany and as part of my work on urban environment 2007-2011 at the EEA, where I dealt with it in relation to urban sprawl, air quality, noise and urban quality of life. My background as landscape planner and architect helped me on systemic and functional aspects. I supervised several urban transport projects in Germany and other European cities (Wroclaw, Riga, Tirana), initiated and organised the German portal and conference series “Kommunal mobil” that makes knowledge better accessible to stakeholders and enables them to exchange experience and identifying further development needs. I organised with UNECE the THE PEP workshop “Institutional Arrangements for Policy Integration transport, health, environment” and its follow up guidance document “Working together for sustainable and healthy transport”. I designed and implemented with EEA colleagues the European expert workshop on transport demand, contributed to the EEA’s TERM reports and dealt with urban mobility as integral part in my different EEA publications like the major report “Quality of Life in Europe’s cities and towns” and “Adaptation of transport to climate change in Europe”. All this activity included also to present in different workshops and exchange with stakeholders directly thus learning about their perspectives and needs and designing our projects accordingly. Examples in CV.

Theme / Policy:

Urban Strategic Planning

Summary Thematic expertise:

As a landscape planner, I approach urban development generally from a strategic and integrated perspective. My work as a project manager for urban and regional planning at the European Environment Agency and the German Federal Environment Agency stretches over more than 20 years. In particular, my current topic climate change adaptation in cities forces me to think strategically. It is a future change requiring anticipating, strategic planning to deal with. Change can be seen as an opportunity for the transformation towards strong, sustainable and attractive cities. It requires a systemic approach that integrates demographic, social and economic trends and a holistic perspective. This strategic approach is in focus of my ongoing EEA report “Urban adaptation in Europe II”, but was, e.g., already included in my EEA reports “Quality of life in Europe’s cities” and “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe”. My work includes analysing current research as well as finding illustrative case studies and synthesising the information. I also worked a member of the evaluation committee of the EGCA and as advisor in EU projects (CHAMP, SUME, RESIN). I did numerous presentations, trainings, meetings. As project manager, I develop the concepts, elaborate substantial parts of the projects, and communicate and promote the capitalization of the results. With my multiple stakeholder contacts, I gained a broad experience of practice, challenges and solutions across Europe. Examples in CV

Theme / Policy:

Integrated Urban Renewal

Summary Thematic expertise:

As a landscape planner, I approach urban development generally from a strategic and integrated perspective. My work as a project manager for urban and regional planning at the European Environment Agency and the German Federal Environment Agency stretches over more than 20 years. While my starting point is urban environment it always integrated the socio-economic dimension, like transport, business, demographics – dealing with it in a holistic way, like in my EEA report “Quality of life in Europe’s cities”. My work considers challenges like climate or demographic change that require cities to adapt and transform, but in most places the city structure is already fixed. Renewal within the given urban structures is therefore of a main topic in my work, e.g. EEA report “Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe” and its follow up report under development. My work includes analysing current research as well as finding illustrative case studies and synthesising the information. I also worked a member of the evaluation committee of the EGCA and as advisor in EU projects (CHAMP, SUME, RESIN). I did numerous presentations, trainings, meetings. As project manager, I develop the concepts, elaborate substantial parts of the projects, and communicate and promote the capitalization of the results. With my multiple stakeholder contacts, I gained a broad experience of practice, challenges and solutions across Europe. Examples in CV.

Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies

E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :

The EEA report of “Ensuring quality of life in Europe’s cities and towns” was a good example of co-creation. I was the project manager and our task was to learn what the quality of life concepts could mean in the context of urban sustainability and reviewed also related challenges like urban sprawl demographic change, climate change etc. We co-created this report with city networks (Eurocities, ICLEI, Metrix). In contrast to former reports where they would provide comments, they worked here as authors on equal footing. We all were shaping the report and learning due to joint work the perspective of the other partner. The sometimes changed roles enabled to find better solutions. As citizen of Frederiksberg, I worked also in a neighbourhood initiative regarding the extension of a shopping centre in our neighbourhood with negative consequences for us the direct neighbours. I could not only take the lead on environmental and urban design issues, but facilitated developing a joint position towards the municipality. We first identified the underlying interests of the different neighbours and then developed over several meetings a catalogue of questions and requests to the municipality. In parallel, we developed possible solutions for the single problems identified, based on our very local knowledge while living in this area. In the following discussions with the municipality and entrepreneur, we could change the design so that the negative effects were substantially reduced.

E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:

I was responsible for the development of the interactive map book on urban vulnerability. Cities’ vulnerability to climate change is determined by many different factors that interact with each other. The map book lists these in a clear and manageable way and then provides indicators. It also makes aware of current gaps, where other data sources need to be found or be substituted by qualitative information. This map book is now one guidance tool that contributes to the development of a monitoring and reporting system for the EU-wide initiative new Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy concerning adaptation action.

E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:

Writing European urban assessment reports and supporting the updating of the European platform Climate-ADAPT literally requires that I explore the urban sustainable development policies, trends and funds and keep my-self updated. I do internet searches on the different EU sites and of other relevant organisations, receive different newsletters, use social media like LinkedIn groups, have built up a wide stakeholder network on urban environmental issues with persons at all levels – local, regional, national, EU Commission services, EIB, international organisations, city networks, experts etc. I meet them regularly in conferences and meetings and when collaborating on joint activities. That way, I extent my knowledge as well as my network.

E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:

I was supervising the project on public transport in Wroclaw, Poland (2005-2006). The basic idea was to transfer the German system of public transport associations of neighbouring municipality, where they have a joint system and share burdens and benefits, to Wroclaw. However, the Polish legislation did not allow making contracts between more than two municipalities without involving the regional government. Hence, we adapted the original idea by a number of bilateral contracts. These were carefully designed so that they would fit to each other and enable establish a joint public transport system. A similar approach, we followed in a mobility project in Riga, Latvia (2005-2006). One of the tasks was to build a Park and Ride system like in the partner city Bremen, Germany. The approach was not simply transferred. First we did an analysis of commuter flows and behaviour and the situation of public transport. We did several excursions to visit places that could serve as Park and Ride places and checked the local conditions. The final proposals took the different behaviours, culture as well as very different financial situation of the city into account to nevertheless create such a system.

Summary Expertise:

As responsible for urban environment issues and other areas over the course of my career, an integrated systemic view was always the underlying perspective. For example the EEA report “Ensuring ….” Embeds urban environment into the broader context of quality of life in cities and links to the economic and social areas. This report is also a good example of co-creation. It was created together with several city networks (Eurocities, ICLEI, Metrix, Union of Baltic Cities 21). In contrast to former EEA reports where they would provide comments, they worked here as authors on equal footing. We all were shaping the report and learning due to joint work the perspective of the other partner. The sometimes changed roles enabled to find better solutions. I also prefer co-creation in meetings and sessions. E.g. in the Open European Days Resilient Cities, we figure out the important topics of the event by asking many stakeholders in advance. The single sessions provide a frame and input is organised, but all participants shape the content then by engaging in the open discussions that are moderated but flow according to the needs and interests of the audience. My projects delivered also concrete results. E.g., a public transport project in Wroclaw, Poland (2005-2006). Analysing the specific conditions in the city and in Poland together with the local partner, we finally found a way to adapted the German system of public transport associations and make it workable in Wroclaw.