Networks and cities' news

Unlocking Urban Potential: The Crucial Role of National URBACT Points

In the dynamic landscape of urban development initiatives, the significance of National URBACT Points (NUP) cannot be overstated. Recent events, such as the participation of Mollet de Vallès in the II Spanish Urban Forum, shed light on the pivotal role these NUPs play. Acting as intermediaries for knowledge exchange, collaboration facilitation, and strategic guidance, NUPs are the linchpins ensuring the success and sustainability across diverse administrative landscapes, serving as beacons of support, fostering cohesion among municipalities and steering them towards impactful urban transformations. 

More and more often, NUPs are organizing meetings that are gathering different URBACT project partners: 

• Lepida (Italy): 18/12/2023 (online) 
  
  

• Mollet (Spain): 17/10/2023 (in-person) & 1/12/2023 (online)  
  
  

• Gdansk (Poland): 7-8/12/2023 (in-person)  
  
  

• Jelgava (Latvia): 25/10/2023 (online)
   

• Iasi (Romania): 7/11/2023  
  
  

• Zenica Doboj-Canton (B&H): 03/03/2023 

It’s worth mentioning, Spain National URBACT Point is the only NUP that has celebrated two meetings; one online and other face-to-face, acting as invaluable catalysts for synergy and progress and nurturing a vibrant ecosystem of urban innovators and policymakers for Spanish municipalities. 

Green light!

Same Journey; new stages…

As I write this, I’ve just changed trains - moving to the next phase of a journey to another country in Europe. Whilst this current train journey is not related to the Digi-Inclusion project, that is a very different situation to the months before the New Year, when Digi-Inclusion travel was pretty much all I knew!

The initial period of any URBACT project is an intense yet rewarding experience, and that time last year was no exception – getting to see first-hand the starting point of all our nine project partners in the network, visiting each one in turn to meet their municipal teams, local stakeholders and partners, and to get a sense of the place and it’s local context.

Leaving No-one Behind in a Digital World

Technology is a marvellous thing. The Covid-19 pandemic has helped us to take a huge leap forward in embracing digital technology in all walks of life. From remote working, to online shopping, to greater acceptance of digital signatures, submitting our tax forms online, video-calling our friends and family in other countries with just a few clicks, using digital tickets for trains and buses, social gaming with our friends online, and fast contactless payments with one tap of our smartphone. Life has never been smoother.

Or has it….?

Digital solutions are making a huge difference to our lives. But not everyone experiences those differences in a positive way. What if you don’t have a smartphone? Or don’t have internet at home? What if you’ve never learnt to use a PC or tablet? What if you fear getting scammed and your money stolen, like your friend did last year…?!

For so many people in our communities, technology is not a marvellous thing – it’s something which makes them feel excluded and makes life more difficult.

DIGI-INCLUSION Network 1st Transnational Meeting in Mollet del Vallès

The 1st Transnational meeting of the DIGI-INCLUSION network was held in Mollet del Vallès on November 13th, 14th and 15th and was attended by delegations from all the network partners:

- Mollet del Vallès (Lead Partner).

- Jelgava Local Municipality (Latvia).

- Alexandroupolis (Greece).

- Municipality of Torres Vedras (Portugal).

- Gdansk Entrepreneurship Foundation (Poland).

- Iași (Romania).

- Boulogne sur mer Développement Côte d'Opale (France).

- Lepida ScpA (Italy).

- Department for Development and International Projects of Zenica- Doboj Canton (DDIP ZDC) (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

As well as the participation of URBACT Secretariat Director, Teofil Gherca.