Eleni Feleki

I am a senior urban sustainability, policy and capacity-building expert with more than 25 years of experience supporting European cities, regions, public authorities and stakeholder ecosystems in the design, implementation and monitoring of integrated urban policies.

My thematic expertise covers urban sustainability, circular economy, sustainable food systems, sustainable tourism, green urban economies, climate adaptation and mitigation, nature-based solutions, the New European Bauhaus, the Sustainable Development Goals and the localisation of the 2030 Agenda. I work across these interconnected themes to help cities translate European ambitions into realistic, locally owned and measurable actions.

I combine this thematic knowledge with extensive methodological expertise in integrated and participatory action planning. I support cities throughout the full policy cycle: analysing local needs and challenges; mapping stakeholders and urban ecosystems; developing shared visions; defining objectives and intervention logics; co-creating actions; establishing governance and implementation arrangements; identifying resources and risks; and designing monitoring frameworks with SMART objectives, indicators and targets.

Monitoring and evaluation are central to my professional and academic work. My PhD focused on the development of a methodological framework for assessing urban sustainability as a prerequisite for strategic urban design, while my professional assignments have involved sustainability assessment, SDG monitoring, circular economy indicators, environmental impact assessment and the design of evidence-based decision-making frameworks.

I have been actively involved in URBACT since 2019, focusing exclusively on Action Planning Networks. I served as Lead Expert of the URGE: Circular Building Cities Action Planning Network and subsequently as Lead Expert of LET’S GO CIRCULAR! Paving the way for circular cities, supporting partner cities in developing integrated action plans and accelerating their transition towards circular urban systems. I have also contributed as an Ad Hoc Expert to several URBACT networks, including Global Goals for Cities, Remote-IT, COPE and NextGen YouthWork. This experience has given me the opportunity to exchange with more than 60 URBACT Cities.

Through these assignments, I have developed substantial experience in applying and adapting the URBACT Method. I support URBACT Local Groups, facilitate participatory processes, design transnational learning journeys and translate exchange activities into concrete local action. My approach connects transnational meetings, peer learning, thematic inputs, city-level experimentation and local stakeholder engagement, ensuring that learning generates tangible changes in policies, governance practices and implementation capacity. Apart from that, I have been involved in URBACT Universities and URBACT Festivals, organising thematic sessions, on Accelerating Circular Economy and Greening Urban Economies. I have also been part of the Greering Urban Economies URBACT Knowledge Hub. 

I place particular emphasis on the human dimension of urban transformation. I design and facilitate capacity-building processes that create trust, ownership and motivation among city representatives and local stakeholders. My facilitation methods combine peer exchange, practical exercises, coaching, reflection, study visits, workshops and collaborative problem-solving. I adapt learning activities to different institutional contexts and levels of experience, helping participants move from inspiration to action.

My work with the European Urban Initiative further strengthens this experience. I contribute as an Innovation Action Expert of two projects focusing on energy efficiency in buildings and climate adaptation through the use of nature based solutions respectively, Peer Review Expert involved in more than 10 peer review events, City-to-City Exchange Moderator and Curriculum Designer of three national events organised by the EUI and DG REGIO. These roles include policy advice, communication and capitalisation support for innovative urban projects; facilitation of peer reviews; moderation of exchanges on sustainable urban development monitoring and indicators; and the design and delivery of national capacity-building events on climate adaptation and mitigation exploiting nature based solutions and New European Bauhaus principles.

This combined URBACT and European Urban Initiative experience enables me to connect different European urban policy instruments and communities. I help cities identify transferable practices, critically assess how these can be adapted to their own contexts, and build lasting relationships with peers across Europe. I see transnational cooperation not as an end in itself, but as a structured process for challenging established assumptions, increasing institutional confidence, accelerating innovation and improving local policies.

More details on my thematic expertise:

Circular economy is one of my principal fields of specialisation. My work addresses circular construction and buildings, resource and material flows, industrial symbiosis, biowaste, circular procurement, circular business models, indicators, governance and citizen engagement. I have supported cities in moving beyond isolated waste-management actions towards systemic circular economy strategies involving municipal departments, businesses, academia, civil society and residents. My research and publications also examine circular economy practices in European cities and the role of indicators in better-informed urban decision-making. 

My expertise in sustainable food systems is informed by work on metropolitan agriculture, biological resource streams, urban food production, agricultural communities and innovative circular solutions such as indoor farming, renewable energy use and carbon dioxide reuse. My sustainable tourism expertise is grounded in academic training, teaching and European cooperation projects addressing sustainable destination management, Mediterranean identity, transient populations, resource efficiency and local economic development. I also support cities in developing inclusive green economy approaches that connect environmental transition with entrepreneurship, skills, employment, innovation and local value creation. My work explores how municipalities can activate circular and green business ecosystems, strengthen cooperation between public authorities and economic actors, use procurement strategically and ensure that environmental transition creates benefits for local communities. 

The New European Bauhaus is another important dimension of my work. I have evaluated and supported place-based initiatives and designed European Urban Initiative learning activities addressing the application of New European Bauhaus values and principles. I help cities translate sustainability, inclusion and quality of experience into integrated projects and decision-making processes rather than treating them as separate design considerations. As a senior researcher at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, I am involved in the design and implementation of cohorts focusing on the monitoring of human exposome and understanding of urban health, well-being and entivoronmental paramters relation. 

My professional background combines policy advice, research, project management, facilitation and communication. As CEO of SUSTAINICA and a senior researcher at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, I have supported the development and implementation of numerous European projects and have worked with municipalities, ministries, universities, businesses, clusters and civil-society organisations across Europe. My work consistently bridges scientific knowledge, European policy priorities and the practical realities faced by cities.

I bring to each assignment a collaborative, structured and solution-oriented approach. I aim to create safe and motivating environments in which city partners can openly discuss challenges, learn from one another, test ideas and build the confidence needed to lead change. My objective is not only to deliver high-quality expert inputs, but also to leave cities with stronger capacities, clearer implementation pathways and durable European partnerships. My objective is not only to deliver high-quality expert inputs, but also to leave cities with stronger capacities, clearer implementation pathways and durable European partnerships.