Urban New Deal seeks to better understand cities’ challenges

Four partners have joined forces to create the “Urban New Deal” Research Chair aimed at developing research to better understand the challenges of tomorrow’s low-carbon, resilient and inclusive cities.

Based at Paris School of Economics (PSE), the research chair wants to propose an Urban New Deal detailing how to implement the ecological and digital transformation required.

Urban planning

The Urban New Deal is based on innovative products and services and on a redesign of urban planning, in order to improve environmental and social impacts, and citizens’ quality of life.

In addition to PSE, the other partners are La Caisse des Dépôts Research Institute, Enedis, Paris School of Economics, PTV Group and Shared micro-mobility provider Tier Mobility.

“Paris School of Economics is delighted to be able to bring together partners who are fully committed to the digital and ecological transition of cities for the wellbeing of their inhabitants and users. This research chair is fully in line with PSE’s approach to opening up new spaces for exchange on major societal issues,” said Jean-Olivier Hairault, director, Paris School of Economics.

According to the partners, the arrival of new operators and the digitalisation of urban services, on the one hand, change citizens’ lifestyle and expectations. On the other hand, it allows new formal and informal relationships between public and private actors, which have to invent new ways in which services are managed, priced, and financed, while investing in sustainable infrastructures and necessary urban developments.

“The question of the evolution of cities, and their capacity to adapt to climate change, is at the heart of this research. Supporting the Urban New Deal Chair of Paris School of Economics is a natural part of our action”

The Urban New Deal Chair’s researchers use theoretical and empirical approaches in the fields of industrial economics and urban economics in order to:

• provide decision-making tools to public and private actors in the city for sustainable infrastructures and urban planning policies
• study the effectiveness of various tariff and non-tariff measures (nudge, regulation, or taxation) in the mobility and energy sectors, which are identified as the key to cities transition.