Networks and cities' news

Entrepreneurship Ecosystems – a few pieces do not a jigsaw make….

Over the years I’ve worked with URBACT networks, I have written - and read - various articles on the key success factors of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, most recently co-authoring Ten Top Tips with Ceri Batchelder as part of the AS Transfer network. As I travelled to Roeselare, Belgium in March 2022 for TechRevolution 2.0.’s Transnational Event, I found myself wondering what I would learn that would add value to work already undertaken.

Fast forward a few days and once again I was in awe of our partners who - against a backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, which meant that two partners were not even able to travel to Belgium - once again embraced everything we threw at them to both deepen their understanding of entrepreneurial economies and build their ‘ecosystems in a box’ out of lego, pipe cleaners and glue.

Storytelling for urban change: a narrative for Thriving Streets

Author: Simone d’Antonio, Ad-hoc Expert Thriving Streets

At the occasion of the World Storytelling Day, a focus on how the partners of Thriving Streets are integrating narrative element into their local strategies and actions. The topics was focused also by a Masterclass, which recalled some of the most interesting examples currently carried out at international level, serving as inspiration to the strategies created by the ten partner cities active in exploring the links between mobility and public space.

The pull side of the story – experimenting with a new public transport service to shift traffic from private car use in Panevėžys

Panevėžys is the 5th biggest city of Lithuania and home to almost 93,000 inhabitants. It is located at the same distance to the Capital Vilnius as to Latvia’s Capital Riga. The city structure sees a divide between residential areas and areas for work, local economy and leisure to a larger extend. Consequently, traffic volumes between these areas are high and concentrate to more than half of all trips on car traffic. Often enough the built environment is not equipped for this level of car traffic. Residential areas see car parking misusing public space of any kind and hot spots outside of regulated parking areas meet similar situations, too. Areas neighbouring the parking management zone in the very centre face an additional load of motorists avoid the centre to access unlimited parking options.

SDG Story: Schiedam

Safe, Connected and Resilient.

The 8th Transnational Meeting of SIBdev – View from our windows

After the preparation for a new personal occasion in Kecskemét, Hungary, the SIBdev Family had to make a tough decision again and move the event online due to the deterioration of the Covid pandemic situation. However, this move did not prevent the participants from sharing something personal in addition to the professional content, starting with the view from their (home) office windows and continuing with so many different points of view.

Case study Riga: Construction material exchange point

In this eighth case study delivered by the URGE network, Riga Energy Agency shares lessons learnt on their construction material exchange point. Started as a Small Scale Activity in the URGE project, plans are now in the making for a larger exchange point. The point is the first of its sort in Latvia and has gained much attention.