Portret Klaas Kresse
Portret Klaas Kresse

NWO awards 1.1 million euros for research to strengthen urban resilience between the Netherlands and China

Dr. Klaas Kresse has received recognition from the NWO Merian Fund for collaborative research on ai-enabled participatory urban transformation processes (Netherlands-China). The project has received a total of 1.1 million euros in funding within the NSFC-call ‘Cities Amidst Climate Change: Enhancing Physical and Social Resilience in Urban Areas’.

Due to the increasing impact of climate change, cities face complex and interconnected challenges. To tackle these effectively, sustainable cooperation, flexibility and creativity are essential in developing impactful solutions. The NWO and the National Science Foundation China (NSFC) respectively provide €730.000 and 3 million renminbi to the project, for a duration of 4 years.

The project AReNA (AI-enabled, Resilient Neighbourhood Agency) explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and policy innovations can help actors in urban transformation projects form comprehensive and resilient future visions for transforming neighbourhoods. It will develop AI-enhanced urban planning simulations that feature real time assessment of user-made transformation scenarios and ai-powered decision support tools. By testing these arenas in real-life situations in China and the Netherlands, the research will identify effective governance structures and policy arrangements that support the creation of sustainable and inclusive neighborhoods based on collaboration. Ultimately, the project aims to produce scalable arena prototypes that respond to local institutional settings and informal planning cultures.

The consortium consists of Radboud University, VU Amsterdam, Nanjing Agricultural University, East China Normal University, and Hangzhou City University as well as a wide range of collaboration partners in China and the Netherlands.

Congratulations Klaas!

Read more here: https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/four-projects-awarded-to-strengthen-urban-resilience-between-the-netherlands-and-china-nsfc

Contact information

More information or questions? Please get in touch with Klaas Kresse.