Networks and cities' news

ACTive NGOs Brighton Transfer Story

A somewhat dreary day in a municipal office was, unbeknownst to me, a significant one in the form of an email with the Urbact Project III call out for partner cities. Having previously failed with a strong collaborative application to Horizon 2020, talk amongst the office was that UK would be out of vogue as partner cities, particularly with the B(rexit) word casting a shadow over future EU collaboration. Optimistically, I read through the projects in this round and stumbled on ACTive NGOs. NGO House, Riga, Latvia. The only thing I knew of Latvia is that I grew up imitating a cult Latvian player’s (Marian Pahars) goals on the local green – Marian played for my beloved team, The Saints, in the late 90s. 

Transfer Story: Toulouse. Urban Regeneration Mix, a relay reace about citizen participation

To get involved in the URBACT REGENERATION MIX project is to start a RELAY RACE named "CITIZEN PARTICIPATION" in Poland, in ŁÓDŹ, without knowing who the relays will be, the length of the race, or the place of arrival... It is to start a TRANSFERof GOOD PRACTICE with a precise idea, the consultation on a flagship urban development project, then to do a refresher course in Italy, in BOLOGNA, to pass the baton to the socio-cultural animation department, and to come back again to urban development thanks to a deep immersion in BIRMINGHAM (England), and a step in BRAGA (Portugal). Over the course of the race, more than 10 different directions of the Toulouse Metropolis joined THE TEAM to cross the FINISHING LINE together.

Sign up: Final Conference WIT project - 13 April

What does it take to welcome and integrate international talents in your medium-sized city? Join us Tuesday 13th of April for our online final conference of the Welcoming International Talent project. 

Transfer Story: Municipality of Braga and Urban Regeneration Mix project challenge

A group of citizens resident in the urbanisation around Praceta João Beltrão, in mid-2020, started a movement to show their discontent with the construction works that the municipality of Braga was carrying out in the public spaces of that area.

Transfer Story: Replicating the mediator’s role from Lodz to Birmingham - what happens if we empower community representatives to become mediators?

The last decade saw Birmingham fall victim of the most drastic austerity measures applied by the national Government after the financial crisis in 2008. The change of the national political leadership left Labour-led local authority exposed to the most severe budget cuts. Immediately after the economic crisis of 2008, Birmingham City Council was faced with unrealistic saving targets and several difficult decisions had to be made.

Is your city ready to step up and empower the circular transition?

By: Eileen Crowley, Lead Expert, Resourceful Cities.

Our third transnational meeting of the Resourceful Cities network took place on 27^th & 28^th January and focussed on the role of the municipality in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Hosted by the city of Oslo, this virtual meeting proved that even when we can’t visit each other’s cities to meet face to face and explore inspiring initiatives in the flesh, with a little help from videography and continually evolving remote meeting tools, virtual city visits can be just as effective as the physical version and a lot more sustainable!

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Photo 1: City of Oslo, by Thomas Ekström