News from our cities and networks

Ocean hackathon

Explore how Boulogne-sur-Mer (FR), partner in the BluAct network, and its 48-hour hackathon boosted innovation in the maritime sector. Winners include solutions for end-of-life ships, an app for local biological resources, and an information system on plastic micro and nano particles.

Sparking local energy governance

This report on “Energy Pooling & Citizen Engagement in energy efficiency projects” shows progress even where there is no energy communities legislation. The Vilawatt network hears from Hungary, Spain, and Wikipower, a company that organises aggregated renewable energy purchases. 

Meanwhile, the new Vilawatt Scorecard is helping partner cities to prepare and review their URBACT transfer process, focusing on Public-Private-Citizen Partnership, energy supply pooling, retrofitting, learning communities, and local currency.

Funky forest

Fancy a locally pressed apple, pear, spinach, and cucumber drink? Or mango, butternut squash and ginger? Spotlight on Szécsény, the Hungarian partner in the FOOD CORRIDORS network “empowering rural and urban food connections in European regions”.

Glasgow’s Global Goals

People and communication are central to Glasgow’s climate plan approach. See the UK partner in the Global Goals for Cities network embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with city council staff, elected members, stakeholders and “most importantly” communities.

Half way through, URBACT Action Planning Networks tell their stories so far…

Small Scale Actions “very or extremely helpful” for 80% of cities

An energetic mid-term review from the CITIES4CSR network, with feedback on partner cities’ resilience and the URBACT method, including small-scale trials “welcomed especially by busy, results-driven stakeholders from business and community backgrounds”.

Small green steps, big health benefits

‘Meadow boxes’, natural playgrounds for schools, free outdoor gym sessions, ‘green prescriptions’ from health professionals advising patients to exercise in nature… The Health&Greenspace network shares green city remedies to boost mental and physical health.

Bumpy road to thriving streets

Determined to turn their streets into “more healthy, attractive, accessible, inclusive and thriving places”, the Thriving Streets network’s partner cities adapted to challenges ranging from Covid – a big hurdle for stakeholder relations – to local resistance to trial road closures.

Intense learning for gender equal cities

The GenderedLandscape network featured more than 30 speakers and four case-study videos on topics ranging from Covid’s effects on gender equality in cities to strategies for reaching gender parity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

Cities together online

The SIBdev network, on “Investing in society with Social Impact Bond development”, shares some of the innovative ways it helped eight EU cities forge strong relations despite moving its transnational cooperation online.

Covid and healthier cities

“Though the pandemic presents a challenge to the project’s work, it also gives our partners the opportunity to reflect on how to respond to Covid-19 with health-focused urban planning…” The Healthy Cities network takes stock.

Heritage-driven urban regeneration

What’s striking about the KAIRÓS network’s story is the progress EU partner cities made in just two years, from shifts in urban planning and a multi-million euro regional funding request to increased local participation and car-free historic squares.

Read our publication for stories from cities understanding, adapting and re-using URBACT Good Practices: Good Practice Transfer – Why Not in my City?

We hope you enjoy this URBACT city news round-up. If you have any news to share from URBACT cities, or ideas for more stories on sustainable urban development, get in touch!

URBACT promotes sustainable, integrated urban development, supporting exchange and learning between EU towns and cities. Since its launch URBACT III has enabled the creation of 83 networks involving 454 cities from 28 countries. Almost half of these cities have populations of under 100 000. Ongoing projects include Action Planning Networks, Transfer Networks, and National Practice Transfer Initiatives. Meanwhile five networks are transferring urban solutions from UIA projects, and another is localising the Sustainable Development Goals.