Networks and cities' news

The Great Bačka Canal as a "Bleu-Green Trail" of Sombor City

Dragana Siljanovic Kozoderovic, explains why and how the hydro-heritage of Great Bačka Canal, can lead to a sustainable urban development in Sombor (Serbia). 

Dunaújváros organised the biodiversity festival

On Sunday, Dunaújváros celebrated nature with a vibrant Biodiversity Festival, organised as part of the URBACT BiodiverCity project. Held on the picturesque Szalki Island, the event placed a special focus on younger generations and aimed to bring the natural environment closer to the community through engaging and educational experiences.

More info in hungarian: https://dunaujvaros.com/hirek/202505/oko_napot_is_rendeznek_a_szalki_szigeten

Härnösand’s AI Assistants: Enhancing Everyday Public Services Through Innovation

As part of the EU-funded Metacity project, the municipality of Härnösand has developed innovative AI assistants designed to streamline municipal services, save time, and improve user experience for both employees and residents. From rapid-response IT support and digital advisors to assistants guiding home care services in real time, these tools demonstrate the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the public sector.

Between 2023 and 2025, Härnösand is collaborating with nine other countries to co-develop an action plan on the application of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) in local government services. As part of this initiative, the municipality has piloted several AI-based staff assistants, aiming to increase efficiency and enhance service delivery.

Beyond STEAM Education: Highlights from the First Future STEAM Cities Webinar

On May 6, 2025, the Municipality of Aveiro and the Lead Expert Monica Nagore hosted the Future STEAM Cities webinar, drawing 36 participants from across Europe. The session, titled “Beyond STEAM Education: Can We Imagine the Future of STEAM Education?”, created a vibrant space for cross-sector dialogue among educators, policymakers, academics, and innovators.

Breaking Isolation: A Baseline Study on Social Isolation in Europe

As part of the URBACT "Breaking Isolation" project, a baseline study was conducted to provide an overview of the state of social isolation within the partner cities of the network. This essential work, carried out at the start of the project, aims to better understand local realities and the specific challenges related to social isolation across different urban contexts in Europe. 

REMOTE-IT Online Forum: Gender equality, digital nomads and remote workers

Remote but not removed: Embedding gender equality in the future of work

Across the EU, at least in part due to the COVID-19  pandemic, people have changed the way they work. Remote and hybrid working, once seen as quite niche, has exploded, and many cities are also racing to attract a new generation of mobile professionals: digital nomads. However, it is not clear if this new future of work will be equally accessible to everyone. Is there a risk that - without intentional action - the flexibility and freedom that remote work promises could easily replicate, or even worsen, longstanding gender inequalities. As EU cities shape their strategies to welcome and retain remote workers and digital nomads, embedding gender equality from the outset will be key to creating inclusive and resilient urban futures.

This article considers some of these questions. It builds upon the extensive work on gender equal cities which URBACT has pioneered and comes from an Online Forum on the same topic, organised by the Action Planning Network - Remote-IT.