Urban Agenda

We are happy to announce that the main sessions of the 5th edition of the Cities Forum will be web streamed! Follow online the plenary sessions on our website on 16 and 17 March through the link provided below. A dedicated agenda for the webstreamed sessions is available. For the latest news and interviews from the event, do not hesitate to check the #CitiesForum on Twitter, the Facebook page and corresponding Event page.

As part of the support to the Urban Agenda for the EU, the European Urban Initiative will use its communication channels to ensure that the UAEU is known and visible, to promote participation in its activities and to boost the dissemination of its outputs. One of the key channels is the EUI newsletter which will have a dedicated section on UAEU. Please note that the newsletter you are now reading is the final UAEU newsletter. It will be discontinued afterwards. If you want to continue receiving future news and updates on the Urban Agenda and its Thematic Partnerships, you should sign up for the EUI newsletter through the link below. You can also continue to engage via the LinkedIn and Twitter accounts of the Urban Agenda for the EU that remain active.

Dear readers,

Dear readers,

The European Urban Initiative (EUI) is now acting as Secretariat for the Urban Agenda for the EU as part of the support provided by the European Commission. Communication on the initiative has started to progressively be transferred to their new platform and the EUI newsletter will now be gathering all relevant urban related developments from the initiative as well as of the Urban Agenda for the EU and its overall development and partnerships. Find out more information below and subscribe to the EUI newsletter to continue following the Urban Agenda for the EU.

On 26 October 2022, the Directors-General on Urban Matters (DGUM) have met in the city of Prague as part of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During this meeting the members have approved the composition of two new Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) Partnerships that have been officially launched as a result: The Partnership on Sustainable Tourism and The Partnership on Greening Cities. Find out more about them and their set-up through the link below.

As part of the REPowerEU Plan, the City Energy Saving Sprint is a new joint initiative of the European Commission, the Covenant of Mayors – Europe and the European Committee of the Regions that encourages cities to take measures that will immediately reduce their energy consumption before and during winter. To face this winter’s challenges, the Covenant of Mayors has already published a Repository of energy saving measures and a Toolkit of tips and initiatives replicable across municipalities.

In 2021, the Covenant of Mayors Office launched the Policy Support Facility (PSF) to assist local and regional authorities develop and implement adaptation strategies. As part of the EU Adaptation Strategy, the PSF is a two-year programme specifically focused on 12 selected Member States. The programme proposes webinars, workshops, tailored technical assistance by experts, and additional peer learning exchanges for cities and regions. Please check the below link for more information.

The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) is an initiative of the European Commission, launched by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation as part of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020. It contributes to the policy objectives of the EU Green Deal, including the 2050 climate neutrality target, and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. Combining knowledge sharing, technical and financial support, the initiative offers stakeholders across Europe’s cities and regions comprehensive support over the whole life cycle of local and regional circular economy initiatives. The CCRI is funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

How to use climate change sciences for better policies in the urban context?

The 5th edition of the Cities Forum will take place in Torino on 16-17 March 2023. We are pleased to announce that the official website for the event is online. This is the main information portal for interested participants. You can already find online the draft agenda of the event and a brief description of the workshops and thematic sessions. Registration to attend the event on site will open in January on the website. To remain updated on future news, participants are invited to follow our Facebook event #CitiesForum 2023.

The European Urban Initiative (EUI) has launched a €50 million call to support urban innovation and cities' capabilities to build a sustainable urban development. It will allow for translating into practice of the core values of the New European Bauhaus (aesthetics, sustainability, and inclusion). The call is open for urban authorities to apply until 19th January 2023. More information are available through this link.

The Energy Communities Repository is an initiative on behalf of the European Commission to assist local actors (including citizens and civil society organizations, local authorities and businesses) with setting up and advancing clean energy projects driven by energy communities in urban areas. The Repository will do this by providing to participants direct technical support and administrative advice. Interested actors can apply and find further information on the call clicking on the link below.

The European Commission announced the 20 winners of the first call of the New European Bauhaus dedicated to place-based transformative projects led by small and medium-sized municipalities. The projects are embodying the values of the New European Bauhaus – sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion – in one of four action areas: renovation of buildings and public spaces; preservation and transformation of cultural heritage; adaptation and transformation of buildings for affordable housing solutions; or regeneration of urban or rural spaces. Find out more through the link below.

The DUT Partnership steps up the game to tackle urban challenges. Through research and innovation, the programme will enable local authorities and municipalities, business, and citizens to translate global strategies into local action. As regards the expected outcomes, the skills and tools will be developed to make urban change happen and boost the urgently needed urban transformations towards a sustainable future with enhanced quality of life in cities.

On 13 June, NetZeroCities and the European Commission hosted the Let’s Go! Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Kick-off, an event that brought together the 112 cities selected to participate in the Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, the European Commission ‘Climate Neutral and Smart Cities’ Mission team and the NetZeroCities consortium with the aim of facilitating contacts and experience sharing between cities, and introducing them to the services provided by NetZeroCities, the Mission Platform.

In the 2021-2027 programming period for Cohesion policy funds, citizens will be able to participate to decision-making on investments, selection of operations and their monitoring in the context of integrated territorial strategies, sustainable urban development and sustainable urban mobility. The Commission and OECD are joining forces to support public authorities and civil society organisations to develop participatory processes in the management of EU funds through a pilot project notably involving regional and local authorities. More information can be accessed below.

The new ESPON 2030 programme for the period 2021-2027 has been adopted and will be able to build on the work done for the past 20 years to provide quality territorial data and analysis. The programme aims at promoting and fostering a European territorial dimension in development and cooperation by providing evidence, knowledge transfer and policy learning to public authorities and other policy actors at all levels.

Dear readers,

During the 11th session of the World Urban Forum, JRC successfully launched the European Handbook for SDG Voluntary Local Reviews – 2022 edition. This new edition builds on the first one published in 2020 and it includes an updated analysis of the VLRs published globally and in Europe, their evolution over time and space in terms of use, main characteristics, and building blocks.