Jordi Baltà Portolés

Portrait of a person smiling into the camera.

Jordi Baltà Portolés works as an advisor for the Committee on Culture of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), providing research and advice to local governments with an interest in developing cultural policies and sustainable development. He is also a freelance researcher, consultant and trainer in the areas of culture and international affairs, for several organisations, including the Asia-Europe Museum Network (ASEMUS).

Previously he was a researcher and project coordinator at the Interarts Foundation (2001-14). He is a member of the UNESCO Expert Facility for the implementation of the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Jordi teaches at the Online MA in Cultural Management of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and the University of Girona (UdG), as well as the Degree in International Relations of Universitat Ramon Llull (URL). He is a PhD candidate at the universities of Girona and Melbourne.

Sustainable Cities, their Cultural Dimension and the Role of Museums

Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on sustainable cities and communities, somehow recognising that cities, towns and other local settlements are key spaces for the values, knowledge and behaviours that can enable sustainable development. As a matter of fact, all of the SDGs have a local dimension, requiring adaptation and implementation at the local level and the engagement of many stakeholders, including museums. 

The Committee on Culture of the international network of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) sees culture as an integral component of sustainable development, which should be understood in a holistic, interrelated way, connecting environmental, social, economic and cultural aspects. The Committee works with local governments and civil society through advocacy, capacity-building and research. Our work at present, in partnership with other global and regional networks, involves raising awareness of how cultural aspects can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, while continuing to advocate for a stronger and more explicit recognition of this connection in sustainable development agendas and strategies.

As an introduction to the panel on ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’, this presentation will highlight the importance of cities and local settlements and of cultural institutions such as museums towards fostering sustainability and contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. The presentation will combine general concepts and arguments and some illustrative examples.

At NEMO’s European Museum Conference 2019, Jordi Baltà Portolésis is giving an impulse speech and will moderate “Panel 1 - Sustainable Cities and communities”. Tiina Merisalo, Helsinki City Museum, and Matt and Jess Turtle, Museum of Homelessness, are joining the panel.