What we offer

An URBACT Network is a safe space for a group of cities facing similar challenges to share experiences and to develop long-term solutions. Cities develop their activities with local stakeholders – change makers from the public and private sectors, academia, NGOs and civil society – as part of their URBACT Local Group. 

There are three types of Networks under URBACT IV, which cities and other bodies – metropolitan areas, specialised agencies, districts and boroughs – can apply to join:  

• Action Planning Networks – cities and local stakeholders co-produce an Integrated Action Plan to tackle their common challenges.

• Transfer Networks – cities share and adapt a successful Good Practice that has already been implemented in a Network’s city. 

• Innovation Transfer Networks – cities adapt the experience of a successful Urban Innovative Actions’ project and develop an investment plan to implement it.

Each Network can consist of between five and twelve partner cities, depending on the type of Network and in accordance with the methodological framework. A city – a municipality, city administration or local authority – can apply to become the Lead Partner, playing the main role of supporting other Project Partners and designing the exchange and learning journey.

Cities benefit from financial support for staff working on the network, for travel and accommodation to participate in Network meetings and for implementing pilot projects at local level. They also benefit from the guidance of at least one URBACT Validated Expert, who accompanies the Network along the way and advises cities on topics, methods, meeting facilitation and local plans.   

Interested in taking part in an URBACT Network? Find out how to get involved!

Cities involved in an URBACT Network benefit from the extensive support of experts. These experts are approved, following an evaluation by an independent panel.

Each Network selects a Lead Expert. All partners can also be supported by Ad-hoc Experts, whenever necessary. Equipped with URBACT tools and experience, these experts support cities in designing and implementing their activities, including setting up and maintaining their URBACT Local Groups, as well as carrying out programme-level missions as requested.

Professionals who are interested in becoming URBACT Experts can get involved at any time, as the call for experts remains open until the end of the URBACT IV Programme (2022 - 2027). Find out the details of the call for experts here and apply here!

Validated Experts have their public profile showcased in the Pool of Experts, find the skill-set and profile you are looking for!

URBACT is widely recognised for building the skills of city staff and stakeholders in designing and implementing integrated policies in a participatory way. Capacity-building activities include workshops, Universities, National Campus, online interactive sessions and practical tools to be used in a collaborative way.

While most capacity-building activities are reserved for cities that are involved in Networks, the URBACT Toolbox is open to all within and beyond URBACT. The Toolbox provides a comprehensive set of guides, videos and templates for all stages of the action-planning process – from analysing problems to measuring results, while engaging with local stakeholders and sharing knowledge.

URBACT promotes the latest thinking, experiences and case studies on urban trends, coming from the Networks, cities and strategic partnerships. The collection and analysis of practices bring together different stakeholders across the EU, from cities to experts and representatives of EU institutions. URBACT’s insights are gathered in the Knowledge Hub using different formats: articles, reports, videos, crash courses, infographics, policy city labs and events.

The URBACT City Festival is the place to be when it comes to making change in European cities. Much more than a conference, the URBACT City Festival is a celebration of cities and an inspiring opportunity to exchange ideas on different topics, spark new partnerships and raise awareness about current urban trends and challenges. Hundreds of urban professionals ranging from city officials, decision-makers, activists and academics get together for hands-on activities that drive change for better cities.

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Following a specific call for proposals, URBACT has established a database of almost 100 urban initiatives labelled as Good Practices. The objective was not to find the ‘best practice’ or the ‘most innovative solution’, but rather to identify practices that have been tested and brought positive results to the local community.

Good Practices are awarded based on a set of criteria: alignment with URBACT’s core principles, relevance with Europe’s most pressing urban themes, evidence-based impact at local level and transferability. Cities having received the URBACT Good Practice Label can apply to become a Lead Partner in a Transfer Network, so they can share their knowledge and know-how with other peers.

This database is ever-growing , with new cases coming from ongoing Networks and partnerships – with the European Urban Initiative, for example. Stay tuned for future calls to submit your own good practice and check out some of the initiatives that were re-used by Transfer Networks’ cities.