VARCITIES Spotlight #1 – ISOCARP Institute

October 25, 2021

In 2016 the Stichting (Foundation) ISOCARP Institute, Centre for Urban Excellence, was founded under Dutch Law to expand and support the activities of ISOCARP, the International Society of City and Regional Planners. After intensive preparations, the ISOCARP Institute started its activities and projects in March 2018. The ISOCARP Institute exclusively operates as the project office of the ISOCARP Society.

The mission of ISOCARP Institute is to enrich the knowledge base and develop the capacity of individuals, organisations and institutions partaking in shaping and developing human settlements. The Institute’s prime objectives are strengthening cross-border collaboration globally, upholding professional excellence in planning, advancing sustainable planning, increasing awareness of major development trends and promoting best practices, all while serving as a “Urban Think Tank” facilitating the generation and dissemination of knowledge for better cities.

The Institute is specialised in research communication, citizen engagement, urban advocacy and professional trainings. Its range of activities are divided in three pillars:

The role in VARCITIES

The role of ISOCARP Institute within VARCITIES is mainly related to the dissemination and communication activities of Work Package 9. During the first year of the project, the Institute already completed three deliverables.

  • D9.1 Communication & Dissemination Strategy
    In January 2020, the Institute presented the general Communication & Dissemination Strategy of VARCITIES project, including target groups, dissemination channels, communication approaches, narratives, as well as guidelines for project partners. The Strategy will be reviewed every year and the final deliverable will be submitted at the end of the project.  In parallel, the Institute is working closely with Pilot Cities to define tailored local communication and dissemination strategies.
  • D9.2 Branding Identity Guidelines
    In collaboration with University of Malta, the deliverable includes the manual “Project Branding and Visual Identity Guidelines”. Beside designing the project logo and the website, the Institute focused on designing the templates and the full visual identity package of the project, ensuring consistent templates, graphic materials and key messages.
  • D9.3 Project website and social media accounts
    After the completion of the logo design, ISOCARP Institute built the project website and activated the social media channels. The website serves as primary contact point and includes all relevant information and updates about VARCITIES. The active social media includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Moreover, the Institute is supporting WP3 in reviewing the sketches of visionary solutions, as well as WP4 in cross-learning workshops and in the co-creation activities. In the next months and years of the project, ISOCARP Institute will lead several dissemination activities and will work specifically on outreach and engagement with municipalities and policy makers.

For any question or information regarding ISOCARP Institute, please contact info@isocarp-institute.org or send us a message at contact@varcities.eu.