As part of the ACE²-EU Applied Blended Challenge (ABC) Programme, students from across the Alliance participated in the “Managing Sustainable Cities” course session on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, held at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI).
Led by C. Loza Adaui (THI), the full-day program focused on developing strategic management approaches and stakeholder engagement skills to address sustainability challenges in real urban contexts.
This course forms part of the broader “Sustainable Cities” series, which brings together students, staff, and partners from across Europe to co-create data-driven, actionable solutionsfor municipal use — particularly in the areas of sustainable mobility and urban transformation in Ingolstadt and Neuburg an der Donau, Germany.
Program Objectives
The “Managing Sustainable Cities” ABC course aims to:
- Deepen understanding of urban sustainability through strategic management and innovation.
- Equip students to critically assess and benchmark city performance using sustainability indicators.
- Strengthen capacity to apply strategic tools such as materiality mapping, theory of change, and impact assessment.
- Encourage cross-sectoral collaboration between technology, governance, and community stakeholders.
- Promote co-creation of digital, data-informed solutions for municipalities.
Course Activities – October 22
Morning Session (09:00–12:00)
The morning opened with a lecture on “Sustainable Futures,” offering conceptual frameworks for long-term urban transformation. Students then took part in a hands-on workshop on Theory of Change, materiality mapping, and risk & impact assessment, applying these methods to real case studies from the City of Ingolstadt.
Afternoon Session (13:00–16:00)
The afternoon was dedicated to mentoring sessions with professors and stakeholder engagement planning workshops, enabling students to refine their project concepts through dialogue and peer feedback. This mid-week review helped teams consolidate their sustainability strategies and align them with policy and community priorities.
The day reinforced the program’s mission to bridge academic learning and municipal innovation, preparing participants to act as catalysts for sustainable urban development across Europe.
