Re-growCity

Tackling long term decline in smaller cities

Edited on 22/07/2025

04/04/2018 06/04/2021

Closed
  • Transfer Network
  • Participative governance

Re-growCity Transfer network focuses on the development of interventions that built on local capabilities to arrest and reverse long term social, economic and environmental decline. Altena has a track record of recognised good practices that facilitate the development of sustainable initiatives with a minimum of external resource input. This network will support partners to revitalise public services and the economy, regenerate the urban fabric and develop civil society in a context of long term decline.

 

Summary

Partners

Lead Partner : Altena - Germany
  • Aluksne - Latvia
  • Idrija - Slovenia
  • Igoumenitsa - Greece
  • Isernia - Italy
  • Manresa - Spain
  • Melgaço - Portugal
  • Nyírbátor - Hungary

Timeline

Kick-off meeting

Stories

  • BluAct - Starting Up the Blue Economy

    BluAct network initiated its works during Spring of 2018, and has been awarded with the EEPA 2018 “Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit” award. Phase

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    Angelos Ploumis

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  • Find the courage to start implementing innovative solutions for our own city! A story from Salerno, Italy.

    The suggestion I can give to the other European cities from this experience is: being in contact with cities that have already made successful

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    Angelos Ploumis

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  • Transfer Story: Galati Romania

    The Municipality built a strong URBACT Local Group, comprising members from Universities, the River Authority, NGO’s, public bodies and port-based

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    Angelos Ploumis

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Articles

  • Cities@Heart: What Happens When Ten Cities Decide to Fall Back in Love with Their Downtowns

    The network started with a simple yet radical idea: city centres are worth fighting for. Two and a half years later, ten European cities have shown how true that is.

    Picture this. A city manager from

    Santamaria-Varas Mar

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  • Articles

    Can you transfer trust?

    For more than ten years, Com'ON, a youth participatory budgeting programme from Cluj-Napoca (Romania), has trusted young people with public resources, inviting them to propose ideas, vote for the

    Alin Sutea

    See more
  • Articles
    cover

    RECUP MASTERCLASS on Monitoring & Impact Evaluation: Measuring the Value of Culture

    In April 2026, partners of the URBACT RECUP Network gathered online for a dedicated Masterclass on monitoring, evaluation and the communication of cultural impact. The session focused on helping

    Fanni Kosztolányi

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Related content

URBACT stories

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    Can civic spaces strenghen local networks - COVER

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    Only strong and connected local communities can effectively adapt to the constant changes in our society. Bottom-up and local initiatives have a great role to play.

    Nina Plevnik

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  • Articles

    Nine solutions for more vibrant, productive cities

    These local actions for community participation and productivity are inspiring cities across the EU. Could they work in yours too?

    Amy Labarrière

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    How to accelerate cities’ transition to the circular economy

    Cities can be pioneers in the path towards the circular economy through the creation and demonstration of new business models.

    Eleni FELEKI

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Additionnal activities

  • Finding opportunities in declining cities

    Working with civil society to reverse decline in small and medium sized towns

    See more