Networks and cities' news

A VITAL CITIES LABEL: What is it and how could your city earn it?

With recent changes in our life styles, opportunities to be physically active are decreasing. This phenomenon is especially apparent in urban areas where sedentary lifestyle is the new norm amongst the working age population. While there is a body of empirical evidence showing associated health risks, it has also been proven that anyone who increases their level of physical activity, even after a long gap, can obtain health benefits irrespective of their age. It is never too late to start. However a group of cities is dedicated this phenomena and therefore decided within the framework of the Vital Cities network, to create a Vital Cities label.

Vital Cities

With recent changes in our life styles, opportunities to be physically active are decreasing. This phenomenon is especially apparent in urban areas where sedentary lifestyle is the new norm amongst the working age population. While there is a body of empirical evidence showing associated health risks, it has also been proven that anyone who increases their level of physical activity, even after a long gap, can obtain health benefits irrespective of their age. In other words, it is never too late to start.

To promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle in the urban environment, a group of cities have joined forces and created the VITAL CITIES network. The network was formed as part of URBACT, a European exchange and learning programme, with the purpose to facilitate social inclusion and combat inactivity. Participating cities entered a dialogue and learning process to find out how to redesign and reconstruct public spaces and turn them into a low threshold sport facilities close to people's homes.

The result of the process is a set of innovative tools and methods to be used in urban design and planning to reshape public spaces linked to sport and physical activity. The findings and conclusions of VITAL CITIES are relevant for the different governmental levels, including the European Commission.

INT-HERIT TRANSNATIONAL MEETING IN ALBA IULIA

The INT-HERIT network organised this meeting in Alba Iulia for two dozen attendants coming from all the partner cities involved in this URBACT III Project. An opportunity to travel to the core of one of the most relevant historical places in Romania.

Green Public Procurement & Socially Responsible Public Procurement

Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP) bring environmental, societal and economic benefits at the local level, and can help drive the market towards sustainability. By taking smart decisions when purchasing products and services, public authorities achieve real value for the public purse. 

PEER REVIEW: An useful learning tool during the implementation of activities in the INT-HERIT cities

Peer Review is a helpful and frequently used methodology in the URBACT Programme as well as within the frame of the INT-HERIT Project.

Cities and social media - The Genoa Final Conference

In this period of general crisis of social media, cities offer important solutions to promote the civic use of platforms which can increase economic development, civic participation and local marketing in urban contexts. The experiences of ten European cities, partners of the European Interactive Cities network, funded under the URBACT program, will be the core of the final conference of the project, which will take place in Genoa from 11 to 13 April.