News from our cities and networks
Edited on
27 April 2022Latest updates from URBACT cities finding better ways to tackle local challenges: from road improvements to digital support spots.
Strategic sustainability lessons
Learn from Solingen (DE), Heraklion (EL), Tallinn (EE) and Bristol (UK) in this report of a Global Goals for Cities network meeting marking the network’s new phase of action planning and implementation on governance, partnerships, and policy coherence. And step into the future with this video news report from Hungarian partner Veszprém, showing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals being brought into action.
How to keep a city youthful? Some answers from Gabrovo, Bulgarian partner in the iPlace network of cities promoting sustainable local economic development. Gabrovo aims to help more young people lead fulfilling lives in their hometown on finishing secondary education.
“Is digital inclusive?” A question explored by Saint Quentin (FR) in the DigiPlace network of medium-sized cities focused on successful digitalisation. Interesting stats and solutions like the France Service Bus and digital support spots around the city.
Safer roads or green parks? How to understand people’s priorities
“Polls, surveys, workshops, site visits, ideations, stalls, co-creative actions…” Take a tour of the local communication actions trialed by the Space4People network partner cities. With more to come: “Guía de Isora [ES] is currently evaluating its latest action on workshops in seven educational centres. Stay tuned!”
To help tackle the mismatch between offer and demand in its local labour market, La Rochelle (FR) welcomed some 60 students to a day-long hackathon for gender equality on career choices. A Small-Scale Action trialed with the Genderedlandscape network.
New support for local businesses
The USE-IT network zooms in on Trapani’s (IT) ‘micro hub’ plans to boost local business and innovation – especially among people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Also discover their neighbourhood revival project with co-working spaces, laboratories, ‘fab-labs’, exhibition spaces, guest rooms, allotment gardens and social homes.
New interview from URGE: “meet the partners”
Meet Sebastian Knoll, member of the Munich URBACT Local Group, part of the URGE network for recycling and re-using building materials. Mr. Knoll is an engineering ecologist, and an expert in re- and upcycling excavated soil and secondary raw materials as rooting layers.
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.
Submitted by Amy Labarrière on