Towards a New Generation of Metropolitan Innovation Strategies?

Academic literature from the 1990’s has widely celebrated global cities and the creative class, in the aftermath of the end of the cold-war. In the past decade of global urbanisation following the Vancouver World Urban Forum in 2006, innovation has been all over the place. Smart cities, green cities, walkable cities... all have claimed to be the prime hotbeds of enhanced liveability and to attract human capital form the rest of the world.

While the new urban agenda discussed at Habitat III shows how multi-faceted are future urban priorities, it may be the time to pause and rethink our urban innovation priorities. Building on such projects as the "greater Paris" or the "greater Moscow" or on the quest for green leadership in the US, we will also explore how new forms of intercity and city/universities cooperation are paving the way for more pragmatic and more efficient metropolitan solutions.

A trusted and skilled advocate of cities and their ability to invent a more sustainable future, Nicolas Buchoud, 41, has served for over 10 years in key public sector positions. He has been senior advisor for city mayors and to the elected President of the Greater Paris Region. In this Office, he contributed to reinforce the role of local governments in shaping the global climate agenda during COP15. As an expert, he has been involved in several research, business and civil society initiatives for COP21 as well as for Habitat III.

Nicolas Buchoud is currently chairing the Grand Paris Alliance, an award winning not for profit think-tank he co-founded in Paris in 2011 and where he leads collaborative research on transformative metropolitan strategies. Supported by several foundations and design groups worldwide, the Grand Paris Alliance has edited over 80 papers on metropolitan issues, auditioned over 150 experts and organized 5 international Forums. It gathers over 60 members from the public and private sectors in real estate, public development, technological innovation, including cleantechs and smart cities, as well as representatives of local governments, research, and financial sectors.