An unexpected but welcome result of the transfer process in Rybnik. The real impact of the ALT/BAU project on shaping the housing policy in Rybnik.

Artur Gliwicki reports on an unexpected but very welcome side effect of the ALT/BAU network in Rybnik.

When on 9 July 2020 we sat down to the next ULG online meeting, we couldn’t realize how crucial our webinar would be. Who would have thought that three months later Rybnik’s model of housing policy would undergo such a significant transformation?

Đurek 60 – New community Festival in Varaždin

The URBACT Come In Talking Houses/Shared Stories Transfer Network had another successful festival modelled on the Budapest 100 Open House Weekend held in Varaždin. 

Insights from Tourist-friendly Cities network: Integrating health & safety in a new model for sustainable tourism

In the framework of the fifth transnational meeting that took place in January 28-29 2021, the Tourism-friendly Cities (TFC) URBACT network focused at one key element for consolidating sustainable tourism practices: the health and safety of tourists, and, of course, of residents. As the TFC cities are beginning to develop their Integrated Development Plans (IAPs) on sustainable tourism, in a co-creation process within their own URBACT Local Groups (ULG), we wanted to reflect at this theme that was not so visible on our radar in 2019 when we imagined the initial peer-to-peer learning and exchange workplan of the network.

Mini recycling stations and Vollebekk Fabrikker, lessons by Oslo

Second City2City: Scaling up urban circular economies, an article by Miguel Rivas

Piloting is usually affordable, but how to scale up?

A recent OECD study on circular economy reports that 10% of surveyed cities and regions defined themselves as “advanced” performers in this field, while 39% as “in progress”, 57% as “newcomers” and 4% described their transition towards the circular economy as “not in place”. Nonetheless, 84% informed they were using pilots and experimentation to foster the circular economy (OECD, 2020).

Piloting and experimenting is usually affordable, but upscaling needs substantial funding and strong political commitment. Hence, upscaling is increasingly seen as a key component of the implementation framework and should therefore be considered in the action planning process, from the beginning. In a study on smart city projects, Willem van Winden and Daniel van den Buuse (2017), from Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, found out that even the pilot stage should be carefully designed with an eye on later upscaling – e.g. getting 360⁰ stakeholder involvement in the pilot experiences sets the basis to successful scale up.

So, what type of enablers or accelerating pipelines to move circular economy from activism and piloting to mainstreaming? In this regard, working at two levels would be advisable. First, at programme level, promoting initiatives with an expanding effect. Second, and maybe most importantly, at the policy level, trying to place circular economy properly into a number of robust and well-funded agendas with a transformation purpose. In particular, the smart specialisation strategies, as the place-based innovation policies par excellence in the European Union, and the upcoming recovery and resilience plans that member states will promote to face the pandemic´s impact, financed by the ad-hoc NextGenerationEU facility.

A very collaborative 2nd Transnational meeting!

Our second transnational meeting was hosted by the city of Vila Nova de Famalicao and took place online on 25^th & 26^th November. The meeting focussed on the topic of collaboration and looked at ways in which cities could stimulate collaboration with a view to accelerating the circular economy.