IMPETUS in Duisburg for a peer review on urban regeneration

On 12 and 13 February, Dario Marmo represented the IMPETUS project among a group of European experts gathered in Duisburg, Germany, for a peer review session hosted by the Interreg Policy Learning Platform and Duisburg Business and Innovation (DBI). The meeting's objective was to discuss urban regeneration strategies and solutions to tackle the decline of the city's retail sector, which has seen an increase in vacancies and a loss of vitality in the shopping streets.

Drawing from the innovative experiences and insights gained through the IMPETUS project, the team shared how temporary uses - as flexible, community-driven interventions - offer a unique opportunity to reimagine and experiment with urban spaces, while actively engaging the local community in the transformation process. Testing temporary uses to revitalise the city centre is indeed one of the key recommendations for the city of Duisburg as a result of the meeting.

The peer review, in collaboration with Astrid Severin and Arnault Morisson from the Interreg Policy Learning Platform, featured six experts from across Europe, including Farhan Sahito (Privanova, France), Federico Camerin (Universidad de Valladolid, Spain), Konstantinos Karamarkos (URBACT & EUI Lead Expert, Greece), Rose Power (Southern Regional Assembly, Ireland), and Stephen Coyne (Dublin City Council, Ireland). 

Beyond its immediate scope, IMPETUS is demonstrating how sharing best practices and expertise outside its direct network of partners can enrich the project itself while generating value in new contexts. Participating in peer learning processes like this strengthens the project's approach and helps apply its insights more broadly, contributing to urban transformation initiatives across Europe.