Ireland

About the URBACT Programme

URBACT aims to foster integrated urban development in Europe by supporting networks of cities and towns to exchange good practices and ideas. This webpage aims to share information, news and articles about URBACT, especially to its Irish audience.

Under its knowledge pillar the URBACT Secretariat (in conjunction with the EUI: European Urban Initiative) organise EU City Labs which see a sharing of knowledge on an URBACT/EUI Good Practice and how these practices have been transferred to and adapted by other localities around Europe. The Secretariats are co-organising two more of these knowledge sharing events in the final quarter of 2024. An EU City Lab (#3) on Land Strategies to Feed the City will occur between 23rd and 24th of October in Milan, Italy, while an EU City Lab (#2) on Funding the Energy Transition will occur between 20th and 21st of November 2024 in Bucharest, Romania. You can learn more about both Labs and register at the link below. There you can also learn about the previous ones in each series.

The first URBACT IV call for Action Planning Networks (APNs) closed on the 31st of March 2023 with 30 new APNs confirmed by the Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) at the end of May. Irish local authorities were announced as being party to seven of these 30, officially beginning their URBACT Action Planning journey on June 1st 2023. On the 28th of June, the PMC announced 10 new Innovation Transfer Networks. Irish partners are party to two of these, meaning nine active URBACT projects are in operation in Ireland. The partners include Clare County Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Limerick City and County Council, Longford County Council, Meath County Council, Sligo County Council, Sandyford Business Improvement District, and Sligo Business Improvement District.

There are other calls envisaged during 2025 and 2026, including one on URBACT Transfer Networks in 2025, and a further URBACT APN call is envisaged in 2026. See the Operational Programme for information on the URBACT IV programming period!

The URBACT website more generally offers a plethora of interesting supports to help you explore the potential for integrated and participatory actions in your town or city, none more so than the URBACT Toolbox. Lots of valuable gadgets and tricks are also available there to assist you in tackling urban challenges in your locality, including guidance, tools, templates, prompts, explainers and much much more!

EU City Lab #3 on food-your chance to register!

Knowledge capitalization is an important objective of the URBACT Programme. EU City Labs are key to this, seeing the sharing of knowledge on an URBACT/European Urban Initiative (EUI) Good Practice and how these learnings have been transferred to and adapted by other localities around Europe. Below is an overview of one such Lab coming up next month

You can join the URBACT Secretariat in the city of Milan between 23^rd and 24^th October to learn about how cities leverage for more sustainable local food systems by discovering different strategies around using land. This is Lab #3 (and the last) in the series on Local Food Systems and will provide a great opportunity to discuss, share knowledge and engage in group activities and thematic sessions. Representatives from Ireland have participated in previous Labs in the series. The trip will allow participants to visit cities in Milan and learn from locals about land use and food sustainability across the city, citizen engagement actions and learning communities. All the above as well as the opportunity to mix with urban policy experts alongside city practitioners in this Food sphere means you can bring home to Ireland inspiring lessons and the necessary tools to meaningfully help impact your town or city.