Networks and cities' news

Who are the Agents of Co-Existence?

The Agents of Co-Existence network, made up of nine partners situated across Europe, has embarked on an exciting collaborative journey. The lead partner, Genk (BE), is joined by project partners from Aarhus (DK), Breda (NL), Quart de Poblet (ES), Gdańsk (PL), Banská Bystrica (SK), Budaörs (HU), Ķekava (LV), and the intercommunity Development Association of the Iași Metropolitan Area (RO). Together, they aim to promote transparent, innovative and citizen-centred governance.

Leaving No-one Behind in a Digital World

Technology is a marvellous thing. The Covid-19 pandemic has helped us to take a huge leap forward in embracing digital technology in all walks of life. From remote working, to online shopping, to greater acceptance of digital signatures, submitting our tax forms online, video-calling our friends and family in other countries with just a few clicks, using digital tickets for trains and buses, social gaming with our friends online, and fast contactless payments with one tap of our smartphone. Life has never been smoother.

Or has it….?

Digital solutions are making a huge difference to our lives. But not everyone experiences those differences in a positive way. What if you don’t have a smartphone? Or don’t have internet at home? What if you’ve never learnt to use a PC or tablet? What if you fear getting scammed and your money stolen, like your friend did last year…?!

For so many people in our communities, technology is not a marvellous thing – it’s something which makes them feel excluded and makes life more difficult.

Is citizen engagement a waste of time in policymaking? Never!

The URBACT Action Planning Network Action Planning Networks | urbact.eu  is all about unlocking the green potentials of citizen action. Being a network of city administrators, we know we need help. We need help to understand what green citizen action can look like and how we as an authority can co-create with our citizens. This is the reason why we have formed the network COPE. Together we will explore and test how we can engage with our citizens in making changes in our local environments in favour of the climate and biodiversity in a way that considers equity and justice. And not least how we can administrate these activities within our governance framework.

Small cities, the potential best place to live in Europe?

For most of human history, most people across the world lived in small communities. Over the past 500 years, this reality has shifted dramatically, and in 2015, 73.5% of Europeans were already living in urban areas. People's concentration leads to some challenges related to quality of life, such as lack of safety, housing problems, pollution concentration, and poverty.

According to the Report on the Quality of Life in European Cities, a 2023 European Commission study, smaller cities are perceived as being better places to live. The study shows that the happiness and well-being of people increase in cities smaller than 250.000 inhabitants.

iPlace- gli strumenti dell’handbook per lo sviluppo dell’economia locale e l’esperienza di Grosseto

di Nicole Mercurio

Nella progettazione e nelle politiche per lo sviluppo urbano, troppo spesso lo sviluppo economico locale viene pensato e pianificato sulla base delle esperienze e delle conoscenze sviluppate dalle grandi città.
Affinché l’obiettivo di generare un impatto economico reale sui piccoli centri sia perseguito, è però importante attuare un cambio di paradigma e partire dalla premessa per la quale le realtà minori necessitano di nuovi strumenti e chiavi di lettura, che partano dalle loro differenze e che rendano le loro piccole dimensioni non uno svantaggio ma un valore aggiunto dal quale partire.

Opportunity to get to know each other during the First Transnational meeting

Designing and implementing sustainable development strategies are one of the primary tasks of urban areas. In the long term, achieving such a goal must include efforts to mitigate climate change. While this is a challenge that all cities are facing, this topic is a special area of interest for the partners of the GreenPlace network.