Urban Agenda for the Sign Up Information

EUROCITIES has set-up an online platform with information on how European cities are responding to the current crisis with practical examples related to food, waste, homelessness, culture and procurement, as well as the response to coronavirus at European level.

The current pandemic raises questions regarding municipal waste management practices and procedures. To reply to requests from its members, ACR+ is collecting data on the different systems and solutions implemented across Europe to manage municipal waste in the current situation.

The deadline to apply online to become a partner of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 is approaching. Don't miss the opportunity to become a partner! The deadline for applications is 17 April 2020.

The 4th edition of the CITIES Forum took place in Porto, on the 30-31 January 2020, in a former-customs house-turned-congress centre on the bank of the Douro river. Take a look at the event''s highlights here!

The University of Bologna hosted a Public Workshop entitled ''Understanding Land Take - Indicators, Datasets, Mapping'' on 7 November 2019. The conference featured various interventions by experts, most of them Partnership members, which are available on the University website.

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 gave us a chance to have a chat with Andrea Luccaroni, from the Unione della Romagna Faentina, on the work of the six northern-Italian municipalities towards the development of a common, integrated strategy on security.

This Guidebook investigates the role of Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment procedures in highlighting the effects derived from land take and soil sealing processes at planning stage, and is addressed those in charge of taking decisions on the possible applications of these procedures during the land use planning process.

This handbook is the result of work carried out by the Sustainable Use of Land and Nature Based Solutions and Circular Economy Partnerships. It is proposes a new, circular model of urban re-use management.

This is intended as a tool to enable the setting up of a digital centre to help people who lack digital skills. Seven basic elements have been identified and as essential in creating digital centres, and are explored in this resource.

This publication explores the contribution of the Urban Agenda for the EU to Europe's sustainable transition by looking at its 'green' Partnerships.

A workshop on 'How to implement the right to housing?' organised by URBACT and UIA on Wednesday 14 October 2020 explored cities' engagement in the design of housing policies and solution to implement the right to housing.

This session took place on Wednesday 14 October 2020, looking at several Actions developed by the Partnership and their outputs, with the goal of achieving efficient and sustainable use of land and natural resources to help create compact, liveable and inclusive European cities for everyone.

The workshop took place on Friday 16 October and asked the following question: "how will the Partnership's Action Plan address the role of cities in protecting citizens and building cities' resilience?"

On 14 October 2020, at this year''s European Week of Regions and Cities, the Partnership on Culture/Cultural Heritage contributed with a virtual interactive workshop focusing on how culture and cultural heritage can act as driving factors for sustainable urban development.

During the workshop, held on Tuesday 20 October, various speakers discussed how cities and regions that invested in circular economic systems became more resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, and how cities and regions can contribute to the implementation of circular economy initiatives.

This session organised by the Partnership on Public Procurement at the European Week of Regions and Cities took place on 14 October and presented the work of cities on procurement, their goals and challenges and the role of the Urban Agenda in supporting these efforts.

Since the 1990''s, the city of Riga has lost about a quarter of its population, which has had a significant impact on land use in the city. Follow the link to read more on this case and on the topic of sustainable and circular use of spaces and buildings in a Handbook developed as a result of direct collaboration by our Circular Economy and Sustainable Land Use Partnerships! (now in EN and IT!)

The webinars will take place on 3, 9, 13, 19 and 25 November 2020, and provide insights from policy makers and expert speakers on how to tackle the main challenges to designing and implementing sustainable urban development strategies as supported by Cohesion Policy.

Every city faces the challenges of urban mobility: how can we make sure that citizens can get around quickly and safely every day, while also not harming the environment? Our Urban Mobility Partnership published a new report on how cities can co-create mobility projects alongside other levels of government.

From June 2019 to July 2020, JPI Urban Europe organised a series of AGORA Stakeholder activities with the aim to unfold the dilemmas of public space development and maintenance. The outcome was this report which breaks down the complexity and provides an entry point to address dilemmas of urban public spaces.

This document lists some of the essential principles and components that serve as necessary preconditions for the digital transformation process to provide user-friendly online services and involve citizens in the policy-making process.

The Renovation Wave Initiative is an essential instrument for Europe to become climate neutral by 2050. Europe's cities fully support this ambition and are ready to work in partnership with the Commission and other stakeholders to make it a reality.

The Efficient Buildings Community is supporting six city partnerships: municipalities from the South-Eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea will have the opportunity to connect with peers from the North sharing the challenges of energy transition in the public building sector. Apply by 11 December 2020!

The Coordinators'' and Action Leaders'' Meeting took place in the form of interactive online sessions on the 3 and 5 of June 2020. Action Leaders and Coordinators from all the Urban Agenda Partnerships took stock of the current state of play and looked to the future of the Urban Agenda. You can find the presentations here!

Our new website has officially been launched! Click on ''more'' below to take a look at our new website, showcasing all the Urban Agenda for the EU''s Partnerships, Actions and deliverables so far in an interactive, user-friendly format!

The Partnership on Security in Public Spaces and Culture/Cultural Heritage continued their work despite difficulties related to Covid-19, and are about to launch the Public Feedback on their Action Plans! The Partnerships want to hear the voice of cities and regions on the Actions they have developed. Stay tuned on Futurium and Twitter!

A deliverable of Action 2 of the Urban Agenda Energy Transition Partnership, the policy recommendation paper on maximising the use of waste heat in cities is now available.

Stefania Manca, Coordinator of the Climate Adaptation Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU was recently interviewed on the work and goals of the Partnership under the CLARITY project. Read the full interview here!

The development of sustainable multi-modal mobility is one of the key challenges for European cities and functional urban areas both to mitigate the climate impact of transport and to contribute to quality of life. Use this tool to xplore the data on EU financing of clean urban mobility!

The application to the Access City Awards 2021 is open until 9 September, with special mention category for accessibility of public services in view of COVID-19.

The European Commission and the French Regional Council of Hauts-de-France, as the entities managing the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), have finalised the evaluation of the 5th and last call for proposals. Here you can find more information on the selected cities!

This provides cities, city networks, experts and the services of the European Commission an opportunity to reinforce their cooperation and strengthen the science and policy nexus so that science and research can help address urban challenges.

On behalf of Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, we invite you to save the date for six webinars to take place in the month of November. The aim is to provide insights on how to tackle the main challenges policy-makers face when designing and implementing sustainable urban development strategies supported by Cohesion Policy. Further information will follow in the next newsletter!

The 8th International Conference on Sustainable Development will take place in Rome on 9 - 10 September 2020, and is inspired by the critical challenge of human, environmental, and economic sustainability concerning present and future generations in a global context.

An initiative of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, a New Leipzig Charter was adopted and stands as a key framework document for integrated sustainable urban development in Europe. It is accompanied by an Implementing document which intends to guide the next phase of the Urban Agenda for the EU according to renewed parameters.

The Action Plan aims at providing directions on how to face global and local challenges of our times to create safer cities and public spaces and to bring real European added value. The Actions are driven by technology for smart, sustainable, and safe cities and managing security and sharing public spaces in urban and peri-urban areas.

The Partnership on Culture/Cultural Heritage published its final Action Plan! 11 Actions have been developed under the overall mission to improve the management of the historic built environment of European cities, promote Culture, and preserve the quality of urban landscapes and heritage.

The Urban Agenda Partnership on Innovative and Responsible Public Procurement published the link to their e-learning module. The module will guide you through 7 topics under the theme of responsible and innovative public procurement.

The Roadmap for a Circular Resource Efficiency Management plan offers cities and urban areas a structured, step-by-step approach to develop a substantiated plan of action that improves resource efficiency and drives the transition to a circular economy.

The 2nd Urban Case Study on decreasing residential segregation is out, looking at a successful case of Roma integration based on multi-level cooperation in P?cs, Hungary. Take a look!

The Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) and the Urban Development Network are joining forces to organise three webinars on 03, 10 and 17 February 2021. The webinars will showcase UIA achievements, promote the UIA experience and capitalisation efforts, explore synergies with the wider Cohesion Policy and draw perspectives for the its renewal as part of the European Urban Initiative for the 2021-2027 period.

Close to 500 participants from 40 countries joined the conferencce and listened to panel discussions with representatives from among others cities, regions, the EU Green Deal and the Leipzig charter and to together define the upcoming years priorities and challenges in urban transitions. Follow the link to find information about the conference, its presentations, the DUT partnership and its three pillars, and to contribute to the concept board!

The IUC-North America regional Cooperation includes 20 EU cities and 20 North American cities which are collaborating on topics such as sustainable urban mobility and circular economy through the formation of national partnerships. Read the report for further information!

This UN Habitat report analyses the intrinsic value of cities in generating economic prosperity, mitigating environmental degradation, reducing social inequality and building stronger institutions, and explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fostering the value of sustainable urbanisation.

Building on the success of the URBACT Transfer Network model, URBACT and Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) have developed a pilot transfer mechanism for completed UIA projects. The pilot will finance up to four networks whose aim will be to adapt the UIA innovations and develop an investment plan to fund their implementation. Apply by 1 February 2021!

Professionals are invited to submit their best projects on efficient climate solutions in buildings, districts and infrastructures, with the aim of boosting their adoption and thus accelerate the ecological transition of the sector.

This open call is an opportunity for cities to participate as implementation partners in a city-based open innovation competition, alongside a global pool of technologists, businesses and investors to develop, test and scale solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Our LinkedIn account is now live! Take a look, follow, and we look forward to connecting with you there!

Thanks to our Partnership Coordinators, the updated version of the Monitoring Table of Actions is now available online! Follow the link to see the public version.

The Coordinators' and Action Leaders' meeting 2020 was the 5th of its kind, held as online meetings over a 4-day event in June. Read the full article here!

In 2020 UIA and Ecorys are exploring the different practices, methodologies and techniques developed by on-going UIA projects to capture the impact of the innovative interventions. Discover the most promising approaches among ongoing UIA projects.

This UIA article presents the first results and findings of the capitalisation workshop organised in the frame of one-year knowledge activities on urban mobility issues, and focuses on how UIA projects deal with data as a resource to support sustainable mobility strategies.

The EER award is a label awarded by the European Committee of the Regions each year to up to 3 cities or regions with outstanding, future-oriented strategies to support SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups. Apply by 28 October!

An EWRC workshop focusing on the relevance of European Structural and Investment Funds in implementing urban development strategies. There will be a presentation on the Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies recently published by the JRC, offering methodological support to cities, managing authorities and relevant stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of urban strategies under cohesion policy.

On the same topic, this webinar series on 'Six building blocks to sustainable urban development' is also based on the Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies. The 6 sessions target Managing Authorities and Local Authorities of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies as well as other interested urban stakeholders, and will be held on the 3, 9, 13, 17, 19 and 25 November. More information coming soon!

30 September - 2 October: ICLEI and the City of Mannheim will bring together local and regional leaders, European and international institutions and some of the brightest minds working on cutting edge research, businesses and the civil society to forge a more sustainable Europe.

The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign will run from 16-22 September, and provides the perfect opportunity to present sustainable mobility alternatives to local residents and to explain the challenges that cities and towns are facing.

On the 21 September 2020, the Berlin's Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Services will host an European digital conference with a focus on how decent work can be achieved in the ongoing digitalisation process. Register by Friday 18 September!

From 29 September - 2 October this inline conference will allow policymakers, local authorities, academics, NGOs, urban transport practitioners, urban planners and all those putting the SUMP concept into practice to share their experiences using a virtual forum.

Our Circular Economy Partnership has developed a toolkit to help cities implement PAYT schemes, which have been identified as the most effective option for waste reduction, source separation and an essential first step to recycling. Download the toolkit for free!

This yearly meeting will take place online on the mornings of the 3 and 5 of June 2020. Its goals are to allow for interaction and discussion between the various players of the UAEU and its Partnerships, to?take stock of the current situation, and look to the future of the UAEU, which finds itself at a decisive moment. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to address some of the challenges raised in the UAEU Assessment Study.

With over 100 applications, 75 innovative projects in 18 Member States, the Urban Innovative Actions has attracted great interest from urban authorities. In our mission to make EU cities more innovative, greener, more productive and inclusive, we invite you to respond to our questionnaire by 22 May. Please share - the more reviews we get, the better we can respond!

The 4th newsletter of the Partnership is now available. In this edition, you will find contributions by Karen Van Dantzig, Dutch Urban Envoy; Catrien Lenstra, managing director city of Haarlem; and Vassilis Tsanidis, representative of the Region of Central Macedonia; a Summary of the February Partnership Meeting, and much more.

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 gave us a chance to catch up with Alexandra Almeida on the work of the Sustainable Land Use Partnership - have a look!

How can cities build alternative community-led housing models? A web-conference held by URBACT and UIA on 24 April explored how cities implement community-led practices for housing. 300 participants shared their ideas and experiences on how to design alternative housing models that meet the residents needs for safe, adequate and affordable housing.

Over the last two years, URBACT has been supporting 36 cities within 4 Implementation Networks designed to focus on different challenges linked to delivering integrated and sustainable strategies for urban development. From this experience, a short guide with practical tools has been developed on becoming 'implementation ready'.

The call for partners for the 18th European Week of Regions and Cities has just been closed and the organisers are thrilled to reveal that an unprecedented number of applications have been received: over 600! The results of the evaluation process and the final list of partners will be unveiled on 19 May.

Efus invites you every Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm for a series of one hour thematic webconferences. Moderated by our team with contributions of one or more local actors and experts, these online debates will be the opportunity to share your experiences of the crisis.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps the biggest crisis of our time. Besides public health, the crisis also implicates the urban dimension and security in public spaces. As more countries, regions and cities are in lockdown, the way we use and organise our public and private spaces changes rapidly.

A lot is currently going on in cities to address housing challenges due to COVID-19. Members of the Partnership on Affordable Housing have listed some examples in this blog.

The OECD has developed a note on cities policy responses to COVID-19, clustered around six categories: communication and awareness raising; workplace and commuting; social distance; vulnerable groups; local service delivery; and support to business.