Networks and cities' news

Municipality of Vratsa organized the third ULG meeting under the "BiodiverCity" project

On 11.11.2024, the third meeting of the URBACT local group was held in the Municipality of Vratsa within "BiodiverCity: Communitybased approaches to foster urban biodiversity" project. The purpose of the meeting was the joint planning of the upcoming activities that should be implemented on local level within the project. Some of these activities include the organization of URBACT festival, as well as small-scale pilot actions, such as afforestation in the neighborhoods of the city of Vratsa and the planting of a forest using the Miyawaki method.

Šibenik’s Green Agenda: Driving Climate Literacy Through URBACT Collaboration

How green is your IAP? These days, when the development of the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) is in full swing, most of the URBACT IV networks face the same challenge. We all know that, to be sustainable, our IAP must be “green”. But what that means in real life? Why is that important? How can we convince our ULG partners to give up some simpler and cheaper project ideas and follow the harder path? All thes questions were tackled on URBACT Croatian national campus, held in Zagreb, 24th and 25th of October. Climate literacy workshops have become a kind of standard today. But just few years ago, it wasn't a case. Here is the story from Šibenik. 

Teenagers and the City: How Youth Shape Public Spaces through Creativity, Sports, and Social Connection

Public spaces hold a unique value for teenagers, offering a stage for recreation, cultural expression, and social interaction. Across various studies, these spaces have been shown to play a significant role in the mental, social, and physical development of adolescents. Teenagers often engage with public areas like parks, squares, and even neglected or abandoned spaces in ways that differ from adults, repurposing them as places to express their identity, engage in physical activities, and cultivate peer relationships. This article explores how teenagers use these spaces, how they shape urban aesthetics, and why policymakers need to adopt a more passive approach to observing their behaviors.

Street Sport and Tourism: A Path to Urban Regeneration and Youth-Centered Travel

Street sports such as skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, breakdancing, and rollerblading are increasingly becoming a driving force for urban regeneration. These activities are transforming underutilized urban spaces into vibrant social and cultural hubs, fostering local community engagement and attracting a new kind of tourism. This fusion of street sport and tourism is creating unexpected tourist flows to lesser-known cities and "unusual places," places that would not typically be considered tourist hotspots.

Turning accessibility and inclusion into measurable factors for active mobility

Portrait Series #6: Judith Simbaruhije - From Teacher to Advocate for Migrant Women

Judith Simbaruhije’s life is a profound testament to the power of perseverance and unwavering hope. Born and raised in Burundi, she had built a stable life for herself as a primary school teacher and a small business owner. Now living in Belgium, Judith continues to strive for a better future, holding on to her dreams while defending the rights and opportunities of migrant women.