Networks and cities' news

The International URBACT Network We Create Space Officially Launched in Ostrava

Ostrava, 26 February 2026 – Representatives of seven European cities and metropolitan areas gathered in Ostrava on 25–26 February 2026 for the official launch of the international project We Create Space, co-funded by the European Programme URBACT.

We Create Space Network Meeting in Koszalin Focuses on Municipal Grant Programmes and Public Engagement

The second Transnational Meeting of the We Create Space – URBACT Transfer Network (5-6 May 2026) brought together partners from across Europe in Koszalin (Poland) to advance cooperation and share practical knowledge on participatory public space development. The two-day programme addressed local grant schemes, public engagement, and effective programme delivery, while further strengthening cooperation between cities.

Study Visits Across We Create Space Partner Cities Are Successfully Completed

The series of city visits within the URBACT Transfer Network We Create Space has now been successfully completed. With this milestone, our Network is finalising its first official output – the Transferability Study.

From local innovation to European transfer: Komotini and the future of accessible cities

From local innovation to European transfer: Komotini and the future of accessible cities

AUTHOR: IO CHATZIVARYTI, LEAD EXPERT FOR URBACT TN C.ALL

As European cities face growing pressure to create more inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred urban environments, accessibility is increasingly moving from the margins of policy discussion to the centre of urban governance. Yet for many municipalities, especially medium-sized cities, translating accessibility commitments into coherent action remains a challenge. Fragmented planning, limited technical capacity, and insufficient stakeholder coordination often prevent accessibility from becoming a truly systemic urban priority.

The URBACT Transfer Network C.ALL – Accessible Cities for All offers an alternative approach. Led by Komotini, the network explores how accessibility can evolve from isolated interventions into an integrated governance model linking mobility, public space, participation, digital innovation, and social inclusion. At the heart of the network lies the transfer of the good practice “Komotini Accessible City for All”, a methodology developed progressively over two decades through cooperation between the municipality, civil society organisations, technical experts, and people with disabilities themselves.

Rather than presenting accessibility as a technical checklist, the Komotini approach treats it as a continuous urban process embedded across all areas of city planning. Seven European partner cities — Jarosław, San Lucido, Bratislava, Galway, Dubrovnik, Pentágono Urbano in Portugal, and Zrenjanin — are working to adapt this methodology to their own local realities through study visits, stakeholder engagement, and peer-learning activities.

YOUth SPACE LINK in Alba Iulia!

On 17–18 February, representatives of the URBACT Transfer Network YOUth SPACE LINK, including coordinators from Lublin and the network expert, visited Alba Iulia, one of the network partner cities.

YOUth SPACE LINK across Europe

At the beginning of March, project coordinators from the Social Participation Office of the City of Lublin carried out visits to three partner cities of the URBACT Transfer Network YOUth SPACE LINK: Plasencia (Spain), Torres Vedras (Portugal) and Sofia (Bulgaria). The visits provided an opportunity to explore local youth-focused initiatives and exchange experiences on the development and management of youth spaces. The network’s Lead Expert also took part in the visits.