European RegioStars Awards 2015 honours IMAGINE project

Europe’s most inspiring and innovating projects supported by Cohesion Policy funds were at centre stage during the 2015 RegioStars Awards ceremony on 14 October.

Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu and RegioStars jury president MEP Lambert Van Nistelrooij announced the winning projects, chosen amongst 17 finalists in the following categories:

• Scandinavian Game Developers: Smart Growth – Unleashing SME growth potential for a digital economy;
• PICSA: Sustainable Growth – Mobilizing investments in energy efficiency for the benefit of citizens and society;
• “Diritti a scuola”: Inclusive Growth – Integrating in society those at risk of social exclusion;
• “Eurocity of Chaves-Verin”: CityStar – Transforming cities for future challenges.

The ‘IMAGINE low energy cities’ project, co-financed by INTERREG IVC, was among the finalists in the fourth category ‘CityStar: Transforming cities for future challenges’.

The IMAGINE initiative focuses on inspiring change and developing the concept of ‘low-energy city with a high quality of life for all’ in order to contribute to enriching the reflections and strategies of social, institutional and economic players at all levels. 


Jeremy Draper (Milton Keynes Council), partner in IMAGINE, with Corina Cretu and Lambert Van Nistelrooij at the award ceremony 

The shortlisting of IMAGINE underlined the importance for cities to undertake participatory visioning processes. Together with local stakeholders, cities define the pathway of their energy transition. The cities involved in the project (Munich, Bistrita, Dobrich, Lille, Milton Keynes, Modena, Figueres and Odense) have been reflecting on their own governance practices. They explore on how best to integrate their climate and energy policies in their overall urban development strategy. 


Imagine project partners together with INTERREG IVC / Interreg Europe Secretariat are honoured to be part of the RegioStars 2015 

’This shows that the energy transition is by far not only a technological challenge, but that governance, people, dialogue, political courage and cross-cutting approaches play a key role for cities and citizens’ – explains Stephane Dupas, Project Manager at Energy Cities and coordinator of the IMAGINE project.

In the framework of the IMAGINE project, the 8 pilot cities have developed Local Energy Roadmaps to 2050, using innovative methods and tools to involve citizens and stakeholders in the process.

• More information at www.imaginelowenergycities.eu

Article originally published on the INTERREG website