Site visits on cycling, zero-emission buses and adaptation concluded the CFFactory, hosted by the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF) and the Senate of Berlin, on Friday. Participants had a chance to explore some of Berlin’s innovative projects and partnerships with the private sector and civil society organisations. At the same time, the second edition of the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance’s Project Preparation Forum took place.
The field trip on cycling (Connected Mobility: Berlin’s Bicycle Infrastructure) included:
- A visit to KoMoDo, a partnership of six delivery companies that relies on cargo bikes for last-mile deliveries;
- A meeting with journalists from Tagesspiegel, who outlined their latest data journalism pieces on the state of cycling infrastructure in the city and on the average passing distance between cyclists and vehicles;
- A presentation by Paper Planes e.V., an organisation leading on the development of the ‘Radbahn’, a cycling project underneath the U1 metro line.
The Electro-Mobility Strategy of Berlin’s Mobility Operator BVG site visit explored:
- The Mobility2Grid Research Campus, a partnership of researchers, operators, and public institutions to accelerate the integration of energy and transport systems;
- The electro-mobility strategy of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Berlin’s main public transport company;
- The Pole Position project, an initiative combining automated inductive charging and on-demand use through a self-driving shuttle on the EUREF campus.
On adaptation, the CFFactory attendees had a chance to explore how Berlin’s approach of decentralised rainwater management, ranging from water storage in hallows or green areas to large underground storages. The site visit was led by the Berliner Regenwasseragentur (Berlin’s rainwater agency):
- Nature-oriented rainwater management in new urban areas at Rummelbsurger Bucht, looking at innovative drainage solutions.
- Rainwater management at Potsdamer Platz in the centre of Berlin through nature-based filtration systems.
The CFF also co-organised, along with the CCFLA, ICLEI and Felicity, the Project Preparation Forum, an event gathering practitioners from different organisations to discuss opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other. At this event, the CFF launched its latest report ‘The C40 Cities Finance Facility’s Application Process – How Can Organisations Find Good Projects?’, which explains the CFF’s 2018 application process, and how it allows the CFF to encourage, assess and select the projects most suitable to receiving technical assistance.
The C40 Cities Finance Facility’s Application Process
