How 3 Irish cities stand out in Europe tackling urban challenges

Press release : 3 cities from Ireland are proudly part of the selected URBACT Good Practice cities

Dublin, 18th July 2017

Local governments can now count on at least 97 Good city Practices to learn from and adopt in their own cities. Singled out by URBACT*,
the European programme fostering integrated urban development, these 97 selected practices meet criteria on integrated and participatory approach, on the evidence of positive change, and on the transfer potential to other cities.

3 cities from Ireland are proudly part of the selected URBACT Good Practice cities. These deal with unfinished housing developments, to establish pleasant places
where people wish to live, work and visit (longford), an initiative that aims to promote all businesses and groups in Monaghan town, and to assist in the town’s
further economic development.(Monaghan) , providing sheltered housing for older persons, and to provide on-site inter-generational facilities (Naas), Kildare.

Selected Good Practice Cities with the presence local elected officials will be awarded and will present their practices during the URBACT City Festival in Tallinn
from 3 to 5 October 2017. This is one of the most significant urban events of the year under the Estonian presidency of the Council of the EU with more than 450
people from local governments and urban practitioners across Europe participating to discover the practices and take part in networking activities.
During the Festival, the URBACT Secretariat will present a new call for city networks with the objective to transfer a number of good practices to other cities. As Adele
Bucella, Head of Unit Projects and Programming in the URBACT Secretariat, puts it: “Cities can benefit from these good practices with immediate results without major
investments”.

Besides the URBACT City Festival, the Good Practice cities have the potential to act as advocates of change at European and international levels and contribute
with their experience and knowledge to the work of the Urban Agenda for the EU and the New Urban Agenda respectively. Registration to the URBACT City Festival is open on http://urbactcityfestival.eu/

More information on these and other Good Practices, as well as contact details for interviews are available on the URBACT webpage www.urbactgoodpractices.eu.