Dear Members of the Community of Practice on Cities,

As 2020 draws to a close, and many Member States are experiencing a second lockdown, we take a moment to reflect. The pandemic has had a severe toll not only directly in terms of loss of life and a weakened economy, but also on our general well-being and individual freedoms. It is our hope that despite of this, many of you have learned new ways of working together and have been able to spend more time with your close family and on individual and community projects.

While the need for resilience in cities has long been advocated, this year it has truly been put to the test. Cities across Europe have shown their strengths, and taken steps towards being more inclusive, more green, and more resilient.

It is more important than ever to stay connected with each other, and this newsletter aims to keep you all up-to-date on recent relevant events, webinars and on-going research projects, as well as forthcoming activities. Please do let us know if you have any items you would like to share in a following edition or any suggestions via the Community of Practice coordinator.

We hope you appreciate this edition, and wish you all a productive last few weeks at work and a relaxing and revitalising end-of-year break.                                                                                             

The Editorial Team

Ine Vandecasteele, Jean-Philippe Aurambout, Patrizia Sulis