Скачать или смотреть Neighbourhoods first: Spatial design as a lever for urban energy transitions – UN-Habitat

A plenary talk by UN-Habitat's Dr. Vincent Kitio and Yassine Moustanjidi on “Neighbourhoods first: Spatial design as a lever for urban energy transitions”, featured at the Urban Futures Symposium 2025 (Empa, Switzerland).

Urban energy transitions begin at the scale closest to people’s lives: the neighbourhood. This keynote draws on UN-Habitat Urban Lab’s global experience in neighbourhood planning and the “My Neighbourhood” methodology to highlight how spatial design decisions, from layout and density to land use mix and mobility networks, directly impact energy demand, efficiency, and resilience. Through case studies from diverse urban contexts, the talk will demonstrate how integrated planning at the neighbourhood scale can reduce infrastructure needs, support passive energy strategies, and foster sustainable lifestyles. It argues that to achieve equitable, low-carbon cities, we must prioritise design approaches that embed energy efficiency into the very fabric of urban form.

Dr. Vincent Kitio is an architect with a master degree from the Institute of Architecture of Venice and a PhD in Appropriate Energy Technologies from the University of Rome "La Sapienza," Italy. He leads the Urban Energy Solutions Team at UN-Habitat, focusing on energy access for the urban poor, energy efficiency in the built environment, and renewable energy technologies deployment in urban areas.

Yassine Moustanjidi is an Urban Planning Expert at UN-Habitat, specialising in integrative urban design and resilience. His work bridges research and practice, with experience across the MENA region, China, wider Asia, and Europe. He has contributed to a wide range of projects addressing urban planning, housing, green infrastructure, metropolitan urbanization, urban–rural linkages, and the preservation of urban heritage.