TWIN2EXPAND Final Conference Sessions – Evidence-Based Design and Planning for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities
Panels on Urban Data Governance and the Green Deal Implementation Agenda
The TWIN2EXPAND project participated in Cyprus Forum 2025 with two high-level panel discussions dedicated to the future of urban data governance and the practical implementation of the European Green Deal in Cyprus. Organized in collaboration with Oxygen for Democracy and held in the historic Cornaro Room of the Nicosia Old Town Hall, the sessions reflected the project’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based and participatory approaches to urban and environmental decision-making.
Building an Open Urban Data Future – The Case of Cyprus
The first panel explored the evolving landscape of urban data in Cyprus and the systemic conditions required to build a cohesive, open, and usable data ecosystem. At the heart of the conversation was a widely shared challenge of moving from fragmented, siloed datasets toward integrated data systems capable of informing climate resilience, accessibility planning, energy efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
Discussions examined how EU directives on open data often encounter local constraints, highlighting the gap between the ambition of European legislation and the operational capacities of municipalities and state agencies. Participants debated the types of governance models that could help Cyprus overcome this gap, drawing examples from international practices in data stewardship, city observatories, and collaborative data alliances.
A further theme concerned the value of open urban data beyond regulatory compliance. Panellists highlighted how richer and more accessible spatial and environmental datasets can enhance decision-making by: enabling more transparent planning; supporting real-time monitoring of sustainability indicators; helping communities understand inequalities in access to services, transport, and green space; providing researchers and innovators the foundations for new analytical tools.
The discussion also reflected on Cyprus’s potential to serve as a living laboratory for data-driven urban governance. Its scale, institutional landscape, and vibrant research ecosystem offer favourable conditions for piloting new collaborative data models.
The session closed with reflections from each speaker, underscoring the need for long-term coordination between central government, local authorities, academia, and the private sector.
Moderators: Nadia Charalambous, Ilaria Geddes. SURF Lab, University of Cyprus
Speakers:
Prof. Marios M. Polycarpou, Director, KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, UCY
Prof. Marina Neophytou, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, UCY
Dr Gareth Simons, Senior Research Fellow, University College London
Valentina Marin, Associate Director, Space Syntax
Pavlos Loizou, Founder and CEO, Ask Wire
Green Deal in Practice – Cyprus Implementation Agenda
The second panel addressed how Cyprus can realistically implement the European Green Deal, given its specific geographic, environmental, and socio-political context. The conversation began by unpacking the core pillars of the Green Deal-climate neutrality, biodiversity restoration, energy transition, circular economy- and assessing Cyprus’s current position relative to European targets.
Participants explored how Cyprus can translate the Green Deal’s overarching objectives-climate neutrality, biodiversity protection, resource management, renewable energy expansion, and sustainable urban development-into context-appropriate national strategies. They also discussed structural and regulatory challenges that affect implementation, noting that long-term sustainability ambitions often face mismatches between policy design, administrative capacity, and local realities. The panel highlighted the need for clearer implementation pathways, more resilient planning frameworks, and integrated monitoring systems capable of capturing progress across interrelated policy areas.
Another key theme was the necessity of collaboration. Effective implementation of the Green Deal demands coordination across governmental departments, alignment between national and municipal planning, and meaningful cooperation with academia, civil society, and the private sector. Speakers pointed out that without sustained investment, institutional stability, and participatory engagement, even the most well-defined policies risk remaining aspirational. They emphasised on the importance of strengthening environmental governance, improving data sharing across institutions, and fostering public understanding of climate priorities to ensure that environmental transformations deliver tangible benefits to communities.
The session concluded with final reflections from each speaker, outlining priority actions for the coming years: strengthening environmental monitoring systems, investing in renewable energy and water resilience, integrating scientific evidence into planning decisions, and building the institutional foundations necessary for Cyprus to meet its 2030 and 2050 targets.
Moderator: Andreas Papallas, Architect, SURF Lab, University of Cyprus
Speakers:
Charalampos Theopemptou, Chair, Environment Committee, House of Representatives of Cyprus
Savvas Vlachos, Director, Cyprus Energy Agency
Eleni Stylianopoulou, Secretariat for the Coordination and Support of the Government Programme
Nicoletta Neophytou, Director, PwC Cyprus
Knowledge Resources
Acknowledgements
The University of Cyprus and the TWIN2EXPAND consortium extend their warmest thanks to all speakers, moderators, and participants for contributing to a thoughtful and forward-looking dialogue. The discussions underscored the importance of evidence-based policy, cross-sector collaboration, and public engagement in shaping a sustainable and equitable future for Cyprus.-objectives that lie at the heart of TWIN2EXPAND’s mission.
TWIN2EXPAND
The project ‘Towards Research Excellence in Evidence-Based Planning and Urban Design – TWIN2EXPAND’ brings together a consortium of leading European research institutions, including University College London (UCL), Polytechnic University of Turin, Chalmers University of Technology and Space Syntax Limited. TWIN2EXPAND aims to enhance UCY’s research excellence in evidence-based design and planning (EBDP) and to promote interdisciplinary research and networking.
Funding: European Union [grant number 101078890] and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant number 10052856, 10050784].