Livable Cities - London AMPS | City, University of London Page 88 pathways. The expert working groups typically included public officials responsible for SEAPs/SECAPs and related strategic plans alongside representatives from various sectors such as industry, construction, agriculture, NGOs, and academia. The composition varied by the geographic specificities of the pilot cities such as port authorities in some coastal cities. The co-creation process, in Figure 1, involved workshops for consensus-building and iterative refinement. Initially, local stakeholders were mapped by administrative representatives to cover broad sectoral expertise and diverse perspectives. In the second and third steps, expert groups explored measures and transformation scenarios. Core workshops involved face-to-face sessions using data- based scenarios from the tool, where participants collaboratively co-designed transition pathways, making consensual decisions on measures and ambition levels while analysing impacts. Informed decisions were made when diverse stakeholders with different perspectives understood policy trade-offs and conflicts, resulting in experts developing transformation pathways supported by society.26 The process included introductory sessions to present the project and tool, sector-specific workshops to refine transition pathways, summary sessions to provide a complete city roadmap, concluding with political validation to integrate scenarios into city plans. Accordingly, emphasis was placed on involving city officials and planners in the decision-making process. As participants mapped measures within the EU City Calculator tool, the process encouraged inclusivity and iterative refinement. In the final stage, public commitments, such as Memoranda of Understanding or monitoring groups, were established to maintain engagement and track progress.27 Continuous communication and updates were essential to keep stakeholders informed and motivated throughout the process, aligning with best practices in participatory governance.28 Hence, ensuring stakeholder involvement post-co-creation process is critical for implementing and monitoring proposed measures. Figure 1. Methodology of the co-creation in the EUCityCalc project RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF THE CO-CREATION PROCESS The impact of the co-creation process can be assessed from various perspectives, including its methodological design, application, and ongoing outcomes, such as stakeholder involvement and transition pathway co-design. Stakeholders appreciated the collaborative approach and the chance to influence climate policy development, but they also noted challenges like data availability and the need for capacity building. Most pilot cities engaged stakeholders who had not previously been involved in the development of transition pathways. For example, Mantova involved stakeholders of water management and animal husbandry monitoring, while Riga involved citizens, local businesses, and NGOs. In Riga, co-creation activities were central to all city climate plans, emphasising a clear mission and roles, with politicians involved for legitimacy. Dijon engaged smaller organisations previously not involved, while Zdar focused on those with environmental expertise. Stakeholder participation varied; Setúbal and Riga found it
