IMAGINE
... the energy future of our cities
Think-tank | Series of seminars | Exhibition | Partners | Contact
The IMAGINE think-tank
What is it | Who is it | IMAGINE label | Blog
A multidisciplinary / multi-actors platform is needed to create, share and discuss future-oriented approaches of urban sustainability. This will ensure that energy is no longer considered as a sectoral problem, but as an integral part of local and regional development, with an impact on employment, sustainable growth, competitiveness, quality of life, health and safety.
While focusing on the relationship between Energy and Territories and on the Low Energy City, the IMAGINE think-tank feeds the actions of European local authorities, providing lines of thought which are likely to fuel the strategies of the private, community and public sectors.
IMAGINE is bringing together a wide range of actors who have direct or indirect influence on energy consumption and supply at the local and urban level and unites a number of partners from the public, private and community sectors around Energie-Cités, all committed to working together on the basis of the IMAGINE memorandum over the coming years.
- Download the IMAGINE memorandum in EN and in FR.
We need to imagine a future energy model that is compatible with what the planet can cope with and reduce the energy vulnerability of the territories and their habitants.
The document below will provide you with a complete description of the IMAGINE concept and strategy (available in en or fr).
The actors influencing – directly and indirectly – energy consumption and supply within a territory are numerous and varied : technological and industrial actors; those from the energy and service industry; consumers ; local communities, politicians and trade unions ; the academic, cultural and media sectors; public actors.
All of these stakeholders participating in the IMAGINE initiative act directly and indirectly at different territory levels and shape local markets and the availability of products and services.
The “territory”, as well as the vital issue of energy systems for territories, offers the focal point for overcoming this “reductionism” induced by sector-based approaches and for optimising pathways towards sustainable urban (energy) systems.
IMAGINE is intended to spread. All stakeholders wishing to get involved and contribute through events are welcome. These events can take many kind of forms, be it a seminar organized by a local authority with the elected bodies, the administration, local stakeholders; be it a citizen forum; an enterprise or an NGO seminar; be it a session during a conference; a meeting between organisations; be it an academic conference, etc.
Aim of IMAGINE is to be able to decline the concept as a label. To be labelled IMAGINE, an event must meet several criteria. In general, the event will be inspired by the IMAGINE memorandum which is our reference.
Download the label description in French or in English.
Designed as an on-going seminar, the IMAGINE blog aims at offering a continual enrichment of the ideas and thoughts exchanged and developed during the IMAGINE annual foresight seminars, which take place every year in November at the Royal Salt work of Arc-et-Senans, France.
We publish here articles linked to activities and visions taking place in various fields and carried on by diverse stakeholders, which directly or indirectly relate to sustainable energy coming from or applied at the territorial level. Our objective is to make visible a vision for local sustainable energy emerging from a priori unconnected ‘weak signals’.
imagine[at]energie-cites.eu
The IMAGINE seminars series
IMAGINE foresight seminars take place every year in November at the Royal Salt Works of Arc & Senans (FR):
The Royal Salt Works of Arc & Senans (FR) is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose history was closely linked to energy, from its beginnings until its demise. The Royal Salt Works is a symbolic site and a place of practical utopia. It is therefore a highly suitable venue for our exchanges. The place is lindly made available to us free of charge by the Conseil Général du Doubs (Doubs County Council). See all the partners involved in the IMAGINE initiative.
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IMAGINE 4th seminar: "Overlapping perspectives on energy efficient territories" - Arc-et-Senans, 17-19 November 2009
Draft programme (English - French)
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IMAGINE 3rd seminar: "Change course! Towards a sustainable… and desirable future"
The goal of the IMAGINE seminar is to continuously develop and refine the IMAGINE concepts that will sustain other actions of the initiative. It gathers every year about 40 people around a set
of crucial issues on what could be "the energy future of our cities".
The third edition of the IMAGINE seminar was held in Arc-et-Senans from 18th to 20th of November 2008. The theme of the year was "Change course! Towards a sustainable… and desirable future"
Discover all pictures of the seminar on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/energie-cites/
Download the 2008 seminar materials:
Programme (en) (fr)
List of participants (en)
General presentation (en)
Presentation by Gérard Magnin: Sustainable and desirable challenges (en)
Presentation by Gérard Magnin: Energy and territories (en)
Presentation by Guy Loinger (en) (fr)
"La prospective : outil d’aide à la pensée" (fr)
"La prospective territoriale" Guy Loinger (fr)
Presentation by Dominique Bourg (fr)
"Ville désirable et ville repoussoir" Dominique Bourg (fr)
Visionning table (en) (fr)
Mind map of the Besançon’s mobility plan (en) (fr)
Mind map of the sustainable city (en) (fr)
Mind map of Gérard Magnin’s introduction (en) (fr)
Mind map of the history introduction (en) (fr)
Mind map of the obstacles (en) (fr)
Mind map of the Ideal City (en) (fr)
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IMAGINE 2nd seminar - November 2007: "Changing our mindsets: inspiration from sustainable districts"
Download the 2007 seminar materials:
Proceedings (en) (fr)
Programme (en) (fr)
Introduction - Gérard Magnin (en)
Participants’ biographies (en-fr)
Participants’ slide show (en)
Hanover kronsberg presentation (en)
Hanover Kronsberg pictures
Utrecht Leidsche Rijn presentation (en)
Lausanne Metamorphose presentation (fr)
Frans Van der Werf presentation (en)
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IMAGINE 1st Seminar - November 2006
Download the 2006 seminar materials:
Proceedings (en) (fr)
Participants slide show (en)
Participants biographies (en-fr)
Press release (en) (fr)
Programme (en) (fr)
Opening session - Gérard Magnin (en) (fr)
Session 1: What would be the realities of implementing the 2,000 Watt society in our communities? Roland Stulz (en) (fr)
Session 2: Does the Brundtland principle take intergenerational justice seriously? Axel Gosseries(en) (fr)
Session 3: Is climate change mitigation an asset for our territories?
Gilles Pennequin (en) (fr)
Session 4: What lessons can we draw from radical practices that explore new avenues? Bo Frank (en) (fr)
Session 5: What method should be used to imagine the energy future of our communities? David Waldron (en) (fr)
Closing session: what are the next steps? Bernard Laponche (en)
The 1st IMAGINE seminar was also the occasion for a conference by Bernard Laponche on the World Energy Efficiency. (en) (fr)
Visit the online exhibition
The IMAGINE exhibition “Beacon regions, cities, neighbourhoods…” present exemplary and innovative territorial practices.
You can also order the travelling exhibition “Beacon regions, cities, neighbourhoods…” in order to integrate it in an event of yours. More information
IMAGINE Partners
The IMAGINE initiative receives the support of:
Conseil Général du Doubs (Doubs County Council)
Conseil Régional de Franche-Comté (Franche-Comté Regional Council)
the ADEME (French National Energy Agency)
and in partnership with the campaign "Faisons vite ça chauffe"
the Philips Lighting Company
and the French Environment and Energy Ministry, foresight studies department.
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