Matteo Malvani

Summary

As an architect and international projects consultant, I have been active for over 30 years in architectural design and urban planning as well as in programme and project management within European territorial and development cooperation. I have led international teams of experts and practitioners in planning and implementing complex cross-sector cooperation projects involving stakeholders from academia, the public sector, the civil society and the private sector.

Italian / French citizen, based in Vienna, I provide advisory services to urban and regional authorities, national institutions and international organizations carrying out long and short-term missions in several European countries and beyond. I deliver expertise in project planning and design as well as in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) in multistakeholder partnership programmes. My field of expertise focuses amongst other on integrated urban regeneration with emphasis on heritage, culture & development and sustainable tourism.

Implementing and monitoring stimulating activities in the field of urban societal dynamics within interregional territorial cooperation and urban development networks, I came across effective sharing of experience and good practices in integrated urban sustainable policies and promoted innovative instruments for territorial cooperation. Continuous exchange, learning and networking in an international context have always been my bug, especially in relation to joint capitalization activities on urban-related projects funded through relevant EU programmes.

Having worked within interreg programmes for several years, I gained a good understanding of the ERDF, the EU cohesion policy and the actual challenges of territorial cooperation, and could provide a contribution to promoting territorial development and cohesion trough striving more efficient cooperation management. I was involved in developing exchange and learning activities in the urban sector within all strands of ETC, sharing experience with practitioners, participating to advisory and working groups on capitalization, partnership and knowledge exchange. As such, I cooperated with URBACT since 2009, sharing experience on projects showing concrete evidence of innovative and transferable good practice in different fields of urban and regional development and I supported the development of a project network focusing on sustainable and cultural use of recovered historic real estate.

I coordinated and supervised activities related to the management of cultural heritage assets and conservation districts in the Mediterranean region, aimed at fostering sustainable urban development and regeneration for promoting the local economy through cultural tourism and for improving the quality of life in deprived residential areas. Supervising and implementing inspiring projects focusing on cultural and creative industries or cultural expressions made me aware about the great relevance of culture and intangible heritage in promoting employment and job creation, as potential powerful vectors of economic development and social inclusion.

To date, as a free-lance consultant I am engaged in the preparation, management and evaluation of international cooperation projects commissioned by private and public clients, promoting best practices as well as innovative partnership-based approaches in diverse thematic areas, including territorial cooperation and local development, city-to-city cooperation, urban regeneration and historic urban landscape, participatory governance in cultural heritage, culture in external relations, innovation and creativity.

Besides performing final reviews for Horizon 2020 coordination and support action projects or project evaluations for the Council of Europe, my recent assignments with governmental development agencies and consulting firms include supporting projects proposals promoting reforms and capacity building in sustainable tourism development in Greece or addressing efficiency in ESI funds absorption and urban municipalities in Slovenia.

In 2022 I was appointed by the Italian Region Emilia-Romagna as expert for built heritage management, building construction and urban planning, and joined the multidisciplinary experts’ Task Force that was set up to provide advisory services and capacity building to municipal, supra-municipal and provincial authorities within the Next Generation Italy National Recovery & Resilience Plan (PNRR).

I look forward to sharing expertise and experience with project networks within the URBACT IV programme!