Networks and cities' news

SPARK Partners Explore Spend Analysis and Testing Actions at 3rd TNM in Pamplona

The SPARK Transfer Network gathered in Pamplona, Spain, on 20-21 October 2026 for its 3rd Transnational Meeting. Over two days, partners focused on Spend Analysis and Testing Actions, exploring how better procurement data and small-scale experimentation can help cities make more informed decisions and strengthen the local impact of public spending.

Two days of collaboration and practical learning:

We Create Space Network’s Progress, Key Milestones and Next Steps

Since November 2025, the We Create Space – URBACT Transfer Network has brought together six European cities and metropolitan areas to learn from Ostrava’s Tvoříme prostor grant programme, which helps residents turn their ideas for improving public spaces into real projects. Together, the partners are exploring how this approach can be adapted to meet the needs of local communities in their own cities.

Tvoříme prostor: A Successful Model for Community-Driven Public Space Co-Creation

Tvoříme prostor (We Create Space) is an award-winning municipal grant programme from the City of Ostrava that empowers communities to co-create public spaces. By combining small-scale funding with strong citizen involvement, it shows how cities can achieve lasting impact through community-led initiatives. 

Hackathons and Gender-Based Violence: How Innovation Drives Urban Change

Beyond Physical Accessibility: Lived Experience and Inclusive Urban Governance

Can a city be physically accessible without being genuinely inclusive? 

This question challenges approaches to urban accessibility centred primarily on infrastructure provision and technical compliance. Although removing physical barriers is essential, it does not necessarily ensure independent movement, equal participation or a meaningful experience of urban life. This article argues that inclusive urban mobility also depends on how cities incorporate lived experience, organise participation and translate accessibility knowledge into municipal decisions.

Drawing on the third Transnational Network Meeting of the URBACT TN C.ALL – Accessible Cities for All Transfer Network, held in Bratislava on 6–7 October 2026, the article examines the Learning Lab as an exploratory qualitative case study. Its methodological sequence: Learn, Experience, Harvest, Co-design and Commit, connected urban observation, stakeholder dialogue, collaborative interpretation and preliminary proposals for local testing.

The analysis develops five interconnected dimensions of inclusive mobility governance: whole-journey accessibility assessment, participatory knowledge production, institutional coordination, context-sensitive experimentation and continuous evaluation. Examples from Komotini and participating European partners illustrate how these dimensions may inform the adaptation of accessibility practices to different local circumstances. These examples represent emerging approaches rather than completed interventions with demonstrated outcomes.

The article concludes that moving from accessible infrastructure towards inclusive urban environments requires changes not only in urban design, but also in how planning knowledge is produced and acted upon. Transnational learning can support this transition by connecting technical expertise with lived experience. Its lasting contribution, however, depends on whether learning influences institutional responsibilities, investment priorities and everyday urban experiences.

Keywords: urban accessibility, inclusive urban mobility, lived experience, participatory governance, accessibility assessment, policy transfer, urban experimentation, URBACT TN C.ALL.

RE:START partners strengthen cooperation and shared learning at URBACT University 2026

Partners from the RE Transfer Network took part in URBACT University 2026, held from 25 to 27 August in Cork, Ireland. The event brought together 292 participants from 156 cities across 28 countries, representing the 25 URBACT Transfer Networks.