Networks and cities' news

Change of mindset – crucial in all levels when working with citizen action!

The URBACT Action Planning Network COPE with the tagline “Unlocking the green potentials of citizen action” works place-based with engaging the local citizens in defining their local challenges and solutions when focusing on the climate change and biodiversity crisis.

Mostar’s MetaCity: Pioneering a digital and sustainable future

Situated in the scenic south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and iconic historic landmarks. While the timeless beauty of its Old Bridge and surrounding landscapes continues to captivate, the city is now redefining its future through digital innovation. Through the MetaCity project, Mostar is joining a dynamic network of European cities to leverage cutting-edge technology, strengthen collaboration, and build a more sustainable and inclusive future. 

The MetaCity project goes beyond simply implementing digital solutions—it envisions building a smarter, more connected, and forward-thinking Mostar, where technology meets the needs of citizens, businesses, and urban planners alike. The initiative aims to address challenges unique to small and medium-sized cities, enabling Mostar to compete on a global stage while staying true to its local character and goals.

Looking back to look forward

As we start off into 2025, we are doing the final wrap-up for our mid-term reflection, a process we carried out during late autumn 2024. This was an open process with all project partners, looking at our experience so far, what is working well and anything that we want to change or add to the network.

Happily, this process showed a network that is functioning very well, with positive reports from PPs about improved knowledge on the digital divide, good support from the Lead Partner and Lead Expert team, and positive views about the opportunities for this coming year. The process highlighted that that we achieved a lot already in 2024 and have laid strong foundations for some really exciting developments in the next 12 months. It sounds like empty rhetoric that any LE would say about their network – but for me, it is really notable how well this network functions as a partnership and the level of opportunities there are for local progress and network level insight into digital inclusion in cities.

Our highlights for 2024 included three in-person transnational meetings hosted by three different project partners – Torres-Vedras (PT), Jelgava Local Municipality (LV) and Iasi, (RO). These were crucial times to make best use of the opportunity of being together in one place for intensive days of work and exchange. 

The positive views from partners on the effectiveness of these meetings saw us revise our plan for 2025 to include an additional transnational meeting this coming April. This will hosted by our partner Lepida, in the city of Bologna, and will focus exclusively on good practices and exchange on thematic topics, enabling a real deep dive into the latest ideas and projects at a crucial time in the project, with the distraction of budgets, frameworks and project management matters. We will also continue to use online meetings smartly, scheduling these at suitable points around our in-person meetings, to cover the things that work in online format, leaving space in our in-person agenda for the things where it really makes a difference being in-person.

Digital solutions shine brighter in the dark

How can we maximalise conditions to get the full potential of exchange and learning?

Thinking about “evergreen” challenges at the mid-term of the BiodiverCity network 

“Very enriching experience for our municipality”. “The significant guidance provided by the URBACT Secretariat is very much appreciated”. “The inputs from the lead expert, ad-hoc experts and other partners are valued as extremely useful”. Based on this general feedback, the BiodiverCity learning journey is very positive. Yet, there is a huge gap between partner cities’ understanding of the challenge as well as their willingness to act through an integrated action plan. How can we make the learning journey better if everything seems alright?

We all know that integrated action plans can be game-changers and can be made for the desk drawer. It is all about commitment. Commitment from all participants of the learning journey. We all do our best, but we must confess, that despite all the efforts to make the learning process as effective as possible, there are factors we cannot influence.

Together with the host city, during several preparatory meetings, you put together an interesting agenda with a good mixture of knowledge, interaction and social elements. You do serious desk research to prepare for the upcoming meeting. You explain to the partners what to expect and who should come to the meeting. On the spot, you are active, you try to speak to, motivate and inspire everyone. But you cannot make sure that the local speaker will properly formulate the right message, enabling listeners to get it appropriately (if they are the right people to get that specific message). You organise exercises to capture the learning to push participants to share the lesson learnt at home with local stakeholders. But you cannot be everywhere…

These thoughts are in my mind, when coming back from the Mid-Term Review Meeting of the BiodiverCity action planning network, which works on urban biodiversity and nature-based solutions, relatively new themes in URBACT. No doubt, the project is on the right track, partners are satisfied with most segments of the network, and they also shared those thematic and methodological fields they would like to learn more about. 

When I arrive home, there is a clear action plan in my mind on how to tackle those thematic and methodological fields. Yet, I am still thinking about how to do better, especially now, before the most active semester of the network, since 2025 Spring-Summer will host Testing Actions, BiodiverCity Festivals, the finalisation of the action plans and in some cities, the City Nature Challenge will be also organised.

A Reflection about ARCHETHICS mid-point project

The ARCHETHICS Network, led by the Municipality of Cesena, is dedicated to addressing Dissonant Heritage in European cities by fostering awareness, community engagement, and urban regeneration initiatives. At its Mid-Term Reflection, held in Portugal in November 2024, the network assessed progress, highlighting successes such as increased public involvement, cross-European collaborations, and pilot activities that tested new approaches to heritage sites.

Key achievements include improved knowledge of dissonant heritage, strong stakeholder participation, and partnerships with universities and cultural institutions. However, challenges remain, including political resistance, funding shortages, and difficulties accessing some heritage sites. To overcome these obstacles, ARCHETHICS has proposed actions such as a Political Board Meeting, funding strategy workshops, a digital archive, and enhanced local communication. The overall outlook remains positive, with cities committed to advancing the project’s objectives.