AUTHOR

Karl Dickinson

134 POSTS
5 COMMENTS
Change matters. It takes courage. As a writer - and citizen - I am inspired by stories of those who challenge the 'we've always done it this way' attitude. We can do better - it's time to listen to those who go against the grain.

What Went Wrong with the Paris Referendum On E-Scooters?

Micromobility has an image problem. In Paris, a mix of poor planning and bad user habits came to a head as the public voted for e-scooters to be banned. Mobility expert Dagmara Wrzesińska’s outspoken criticism of how the referendum was handled caught our attention – her explanation is a...

Green Finance Institute: Accelerating Retrofits Through Investment

Retrofitting Europe’s built environment would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and position us closer to climate goals. It’s a tantalisingly tangible but costly outlook, and progress is slow. To change this, the Green Finance Institute (GFI) set itself the task of creating conditions where finance is instead a driving...

Policy Recommendations & Mechanisms That Support Urban Migrant Experiences

The challenges for migrants arriving in a new country seem endless. The more vulnerable their situation, and precarious their legal status, the deeper these problems run. Social and structural barriers and discrimination prevent newcomers from integrating with any ease. Just as well there are actors in the urban realm...

Tools for Cities to Facilitate Migrant Integration in European Communities

In 2019, JPI Urban Europe established a call for research into urban migration in Europe, with the aim of understanding how it affects and is affected by the life and functioning of cities. As such a recent study, the results provide an incomparable resource for urban actors wishing to...

Urban Noise – Nuisance or Necessity?

Proving humans’ unparalleled capability for confounding logic, the daylight hours of 31 December in Graz were punctuated with the whizz-pop of fireworks. The magical glittery hues may have been lost to an unseasonal sunny backdrop, but their voices were far from hushed. Come midnight, and the neighbourhood was alive with...

The Role of NGOs in Facilitating Migrant Integration in European Cities

JPI Urban Europe put out a call for projects researching urban migration in Europe. The outcome is a current knowledge base that gives insights into how migration impacts the lives and workings of a city, and how these affect the experiences of new arrivals. What has been made clear...

Gendered Issues in Urban Migration & Integration in European Cities

It’s a fact! Cities are designed by men for men. This skews power relations in the built environment and the systems that govern them, curtailing women’s social and economic mobility. Added to this, intersectional factors – and for migrants the specifics of a legal status – can exacerbate the...

Hypocritesmas: The Seasonal Scourge of Light Pollution

Oh joy! It’s that time of year again. For what feels like months already we’ve been wading through the drawn-out build-up to Christmas. Shops are once again subjecting their staff to the saccharin mental torture of looping the same few jingly-jangly tunes as consumers are force-fed the pretence that it’s the...

Challenges & Solutions for Migrant Housing in European Cities

In a hostile environment where migrants are denied access to the services and basic rights others enjoy, finding secure, quality, safe, and affordable long-term housing remains one of the biggest challenges. As where and how we live carves out our sense of belonging, sorting out this key dynamic must...

The Challenges of Urban Migration in European Cities

Migration is a complex and divisive topic. Multiple political, economic, social, even environmental factors contribute to the discourse – not to mention a minefield of misinformation. For better or worse, these influences affect migrants’ experiences and impact integration, as well as influence cities’ approaches to newcomers. To find out...

Why is the Integration of Migrants Important in European Cities?

The recent research conducted in response to JPI Urban Europe’s Urban Migration call offers a greater understanding of what the arrival of new populations means for the functioning of European cities, and what forces shape their experiences. It also provides new insights into what is being done to support...

Exactly What Is Urban Migration?

For two years from January 2021, eight research projects supported by JPI Urban Europe’s Urban Migration call looked into the state of migration in the context of Europe’s cities: who it involves, what their experiences are, and what impact it has on the function of cities. The studies contribute...

Just What is the Beef with Meat?

There’s a lot to be said for going vegan. That must be why they drone on about it all the time! Like other drones, don’t you wish they would just fly off? But let’s give our nutrient-deficient cousins a break. Whether it’s for dietary or ethical reasons, there’s a lot...

The First Rule Is: Don’t Talk About Climate Change

How to communicate about climate in a way that drives real and sustainable change The problem: The doom and gloom language we constantly hear around human-caused climate change makes people feel helpless. Without hope there is no motivation to act.Why it matters: By adopting better ways to communicate about climate,...

How Water Companies Can Innovate Wastewater Services & Customer Engagement

Keeping the water flowing is a complex business. Water companies can take a lot of flak if they appear to fail in their responsibilities. But, as we learn from the experiences of Northumbrian Water Group, the lengths they really go to may be underestimated, while we as customers could...

CityChanger Katharina Schätz: How Positive Energy & Fighting Fear Enable Change-Making

In the world of sustainability, there’s an assumption that we all want the same change. Even for those of us who share this mindset, behaviours often don’t match, which can stall positive transitions. Katharina Schätz reminds us that creating and maintaining motivation is as important as the solutions that...

Young Leader Hamza Amin: Shaping Equitable Communications for a Better Pakistan

The effects of climate change are not equal everywhere. Pakistan is one of the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters, but it is dealing with some of the harshest consequences. With projections that it will only get worse, Hamza Amin feels a personal responsibility for preparing his country and its...

A Conundrum of Common Courtesy: How Can Decency Deliver Better Cities?

In 2015, a London cyclist clashed with a pedestrian, knocking her unconscious and leaving her with scars and broken teeth. It sent the media into a frenzy. Front and centre of the story was the negligence of the victim who was fixated on her smartphone as she stepped out into...