JOSE FERMÍN COSTERO BOLAÑOS

Summary

I am a strategic urban planning and sustainability expert with almost 20 years of experience in local governance and project management. As a validated URBACT Expert and Innovative Actions Expert (IA Expert) for the European Urban Initiative, I currently support cities across Europe in designing and implementing integrated, sustainable and participatory urban strategies.

I have contributed to several URBACT networks, including In4Green (as Lead Expert), EcoCore (as Ad-hoc Expert), and Residents of the Future (as Ad-hoc Expert). In these roles, I have designed and facilitated a wide range of learning and exchange activities, such as:
– thematic workshops and peer-learning sessions,
– hands-on training on strategic planning and evaluation methods,
– quality reviews and coaching for Integrated Action Plans (IAPs),
– and practical tools to support cities in addressing green transition, industrial regeneration and demographic decline.

I am also working as IA Expert in the EUI-funded project GOCCIA, led by the City of Milan. The project focuses on interspecies urbanism, experimental governance, and nature-based solutions. My role includes providing strategic and operational guidance, as well as supporting knowledge capture and dissemination.

From 2017 to 2023, I was Director of the Strategic Office of Pamplona City Council, where I led the co-creation of the Pamplona 2030 Urban Agenda, engaging over 1,000 citizens and 100 key stakeholders. The Agenda was unanimously approved by all political groups, recognised by the Spanish Government as a national good practice, and enabled the city to secure over €40 million in EU funding aligned with the SDGs, the European Urban Agenda, and the Spanish Urban Agenda.

Over the years, I have also participated in international projects under URBACT, Horizon 2020, INTERREG, CERV and IEE, working on topics such as responsible public procurement (Making Spend Matter), smart cities (Stardust), Positive Energy Neighbourhoods (oPEN Lab), and citizen engagement in climate action (ENGAGE). My thematic expertise includes energy transition, climate change, circular economy, sustainable mobility, digital transformation, food systems, gender equality and participatory governance.