Cities After Shock: Transformative Recovery as a Catalyst for Climate Futures

Cities across the world are entering an era of cascading shocks—from floods and earthquakes to war and ecosystem collapse. These disruptions destabilise infrastructure, governance, and climate strategies, yet they can also open rare windows to reshape urban futures.

This session explores transformative recovery—approaches that turn crisis into an accelerator for climate and justice transitions. Moving beyond “Build Back Better,” the session examines how recovery processes can trigger systemic shifts across energy, mobility, ecosystems, and urban governance.

Through cases from Spain, Ukraine, and Mozambique, and work with NetZeroCities and Resilience EU missions; we will share how recovery after floods, war, and coastal degradation can unlock new sustainability pathways.

Rather than a conventional panel, the session will function as a Transformative Recovery Lab, combining city storytelling, rapid systems mapping, and a short participatory Urban Recovery Futures Game. Participants will explore the processes, capacities, and tools needed to transform crisis into long-term resilience and climate action.

The session builds on INGENIO and Urban Transitions Mission partnerships.