Three of the 116 URBACT Good Practices belong to Irish cities Cork, Dublin and Limerick. City staff from these three locations were present in Wroclaw to receive their deserved Good Practice awards and showcase to over 600 other participants their practice, taking the opportunity to network and build partnerships ahead of the current call for Transfer Networks and beyond.
The three cities received a substantial number of visits to their stands at the marketplace during the Festival, demonstrating an intrigue and interest in learning more from the Irish cities’ Good Practices. The three cities’ participants also made brilliant contributions to the parallel sessions that collected Good Practices according to their overall theme.
Cork City Council’s Good Practice “PlaysMaking” focuses on a placemaking approach to developing the city as a playground. In summary “by blending play and placemaking, the city of Cork (IE) has inspired positive changes in the spaces, places and lives of its citizens. The community-led PlaysMaking initiative has secured the permanent pedestrianisation of public roads, created inclusive recreational spaces, and led to the creation of dedicated public spaces for popup events. Supportive environments, structures and financing have been established to enable community engagement through PlaysMaking at local level. In tandem, a process was developed to establish ‘play’ as a high-level objective in the latest City Development Plan 2022-2028. Cork has also placed play on the local national and international agenda”.
Dublin City Council’s Good Practice “Minority language renewal through innovation” focuses on setting new standards for urban language revitalisation. In summary “Dublin City Council’s Gaeilge365 initiative (IE) is transforming urban language revitalization through innovative programmes and strategic partnerships. Rooted in strong legislative and policy frameworks, Gaeilge365 fuses social innovation, behavioural psychology, and sociolinguistic theory to foster a new field of language innovation. The project encompasses 12 key themes, from arts and culture to economic development, ensuring comprehensive community impact. With proven success in pilot programmes and acclaim from political, academic, and community leaders, Gaeilge365 is a scalable model for municipalities across Europe, driving linguistic diversity and sustainable urban development. This initiative enriches cultural heritage, setting a new standard for language revitalization in urban settings”.
Limerick City and County Council’s Good Practice “Sustainable community (sub)urban greenspaces” focuses on boosting urban residents' well-being through nature connection. In summary “in Limerick (IE), a ‘brownfield site’ has been transformed into a sustainable co-created linear nature park. This is underpinned by nature-based solutions, such as sustainable urban drainage systems and swales, outdoor learning opportunities that utilize sculpture and natural play, and enhanced biodiversity, including the planting of native trees”.
The City Festival was a fitting celebration and demonstration of the excellent work being done in our cities and towns throughout Europe and it was also just one step along the way in matching our Irish and European towns and cities together through applications for Transfer Networks and the opportunities to receive, understand, adapt and reuse these Good Practices on display in Wroclaw. Practices that are recognized as being excellent, impactful, participatory, and integrated! Don’t miss out on your chance to jump on board the Transfer Train-visit the webpage https://urbact.eu/get-involved, and if in Ireland, reach out to National Contact Point Karl Murphy for more information at kmurphy@emra.ie