News from our cities and networks
Edited on
04 March 2022Growing urban food, sustainable energy, tech ecosystems… here’s a round-up of latest activities in URBACT’s cities and networks.
Highlights of a VILAWATT UIA-URBACT network meeting, with a close look at how the Hungarian city of Nagykanizsa is embracing sustainable energy through a public-private-citizen partnership. With links to innovative projects, including storing energy in boats on Lake Balaton.
Here are two cities helping residents get together to garden their own neighbourhoods. Both are partners in the UIA-URBACT network CO4CITIES, on ‘Collaborative Tools for Cities in Urban Regeneration’: explore Backyard metamorphosis in Gdańsk (PL) and Community gardens in Budapest (HU).
Ten tips for a strong tech ecosystem
Sound advice for towns and cities considering investing in tech ecosystem development, shared by the AS TRANSFER network focused on support for digital transformation of industry.
Discover a new thematic report on ‘Using Urban Greenery to Improve Air Quality’, by Tamás Kállay, Lead Expert of the Health&Greenspace network.
These new guidelines from the BeePathNet network will interest any local administration wanting to promote biodiversity together with citizens, institutions and businesses. ‘The evolution steps toward a Bee-friendly city’ is packed with tips and practical examples.
Vibrant, sustainable city visions
Four ‘visions’ set out by local groups in the Global Goals for Cities network’s strategic partnership, set up to encourage the localisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Discover the goals of: Schiedam (NL); Heraklion in Crete (EL); Klaipėda (LT); and Veliki Preslav (BG).
“From the very beginning, ActiveCitizens proved to be a motivating project for all those involved, above all because it is open, under construction, providing free thinking to citizens, step by step, in articulation with policy makers.” Santa Maria Da Feira (PT) is exploring new ways to boost civic participation.
Poznań’s fight against homelessness
See how the Polish city of Poznań is improving access to safe housing thanks to the ROOF network. The Office of Housing Affairs formed a local group including the city hall, NGOs, police, family support and homeless centres, and the ‘First Apartment Foundation’.
URBACT network at Expo Dubai 2020
FOOD CORRIDORS’ Lead Partner CIM Região de Coimbra took part in the Portugal Pavilion of Expo Dubai 2020. The delegation of mayors and business people presented the network’s commitment to developing territorial food plans that facilitate urban-rural connections.
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