Networks and cities' news

When experts work together, can cities achieve more?

Beyond the Urban reunites in Nicosia at the URBACT City Festival

Representatives from partner cities and fuctional areas of the European network attended the festival to share experiences, discover initiatives from other cities and further strengthen the collaborative ties established during the project.

From planning to action: Beyond the Urban partners publish their Integrated Action Plans for sustainable urban–rural mobility

Beyond the Urban is an URBACT network of ten territories across Europe. Cities, regions and rural areas work together to rethink how people move —between villages and cities, to work, to school, to services— with sustainability, inclusion and digital tools at the core. Led by Osona, Beyond the Urban has been a shared journey of learning, testing and planning a new kind of urban–rural mobility.

Planting a network: PARKS takes root across Europe

Take a look outside your window. What do you see – the urban landscape, a green space with people chatting on a bench? How about the street – a dull asphalt desert or one shaded by lush plane trees? What’s your favourite park nearby – the green square around the corner or the park down by the river?

A model for the quality of urban green is the 3+30+300 principle. It is used to measure visual access to greenery (3 mature trees from every home, school or workplace), the availability of urban trees (30 % tree cover in the neighbourhood) and physical access to green space (within 300 m). Are you lucky to live in such an environment? 

Cities around Europe struggle to come close to these numbers and to counter the adverse effects of a heating climate and extreme weather events. Urban trees, parks and other green infrastructure can help to mitigate the heat waves like the ones under which Europe ached in summer 2026, and they also bring ecological, social and aesthetic value to cities.

Perugia sets an example in green space management: delegations from six European countries

On 10 February 2026, Perugia shared its experience in participatory green-space management with partners from across Europe as part of the URBACT PARKS (Participatory Actions for Resilient and Knowledgeable Stewardship) project.

The PARKS network brings together cities from the network to exchange knowledge and transfer successful approaches to the management of urban green spaces. During the visit, European partners explored two examples of Perugia’s participatory approach: Chico Mendes Park, where the Natura Urbana association manages the Ecomodule and organises activities for citizens, and the San Matteo degli Armeni complex, home to an urban garden managed by the Vivi il borgo citizens’ association for more than ten years.

TactiCity in Cork: 3 Days at the URBACT University