Networks and cities' news

Catch up on the latest updates from cities working together in URBACT Networks. The articles and news that are showcased below are published directly by URBACT’s beneficiaries and do not necessarily reflect the programme’s position.

Want to learn more about the projects that are featured here? Discover the URBACT Networks.

 

 

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    Video Recap: “BusinessUP! Green Actions” Seminar in Rzeszów Showcases Youth Innovation

    Held on 28 February 2025.

    Zoltán Szenes

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  • High School workshop

    Breaking stereotypes and promoting equality in Postojna

    By Živa Dekleva

     

     

    Rosalie Lakatos

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  • Composition image: bird´s view of Getafe´s urban centre and the Healthy Homes Office

    Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit: an innovative energy poverty reduction solution designed and implemented in the city of Getafe

    In 2018, it was estimated that around 15% of Getafe’s households – approximately 30,000 residents – could not keep their homes warm in winter. Additionally, rising climate change impacts and increasingly frequent heatwaves made summer conditions more extreme. Yet, fewer than 1,000 residents (234 households) in Getafe sought assistance – revealing a significant gap between those in need and those receiving help.

     

    “This was a clear sign we have to act,” says Fernando González Ferreira, one of the key developers of the Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit. “But the more we searched for the solution, the more we realized that there was none suitable for our situation. So, we knew we had to get innovative and do it ourselves in close collaboration with our community.”

     

    And they did it! Since 2022, when it became operational, the Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit assisted over 2,750 households (more than 6,850 citizens) and, on average, reduced their energy bills by 20%, improved the internal coordination between municipal services, and established fruitful cooperation with a diverse array of external partners like universities, NGO’s, consultancies, etc.

    Klemen Strmsnik

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  • GenProcure_Zagreb interview

    URBACT GenProcure promotes equality in public procurement and society

    On the eve of International Women's Day, we spoke with Matea Brajko, the leader of the URBACT project GenProcure for the City of Zagreb. Matea revealed to us the benefits of applying gender equality principles in public procurement, as well as specific findings, results, and future plans for the implementation of the URBACT network GenProcure.

    Edgar Azevedo

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  • The Re-Gen Civic Hackathon in Albacete

    Albacete Successfully Hosted The Re-Gen Civic Hackathon 2025

    On Saturday, 5 April 2025, the Re-Gen Civic Hackathon was held at the Albacete Youth Centre (Spain). The event was part of the European Re-Gen initiative, organised by CEEI Albacete in collaboration with Emilia Parra from Vértice Cultural, Laura Gómez Serrano, youth officer at the Albacete Youth Centre, and Carmen Gómez, also from the Youth Centre. The aim was to involve young people aged between 16 and 22 in the creation of innovative projects to regenerate underused urban spaces through social and sporting activities designed for teenagers aged between 10 and 18.

    Desiree Zucchi

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  • Quality of Life in shrinking cities, part two - Measuring and Monitoring

    This article is based on the workshop “Quality of Life: what is it and how to promote and measure it” delivered by URBACT Expert José Costero for the URBACT network Residents of the Future in Alba Iulia (Romania) on 25 March 2025. The session gathered about 25 participants from the nine cities involved in the network, fostering discussions on how to integrate quality of life principles into urban planning and policymaking.

    josecostero

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