Networks and cities' news

Transforming Urban Landscapes: Circular Economy Practices in European Cities

The transition to a circular economy (CE) is a cornerstone of sustainable urban development, directly addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. LET'S GO CIRCULAR! Lead Expert Eleni Feleki wrote a comprehensive article about the findings from almost two years of exploring how to pave the way for CE in European cities. 

From paper to people: How your IAP can inspire the citizens it’s made for

What Cities Can Learn from the URBACT IAP Review – Part Two

In Part One, we reflected on how URBACT Integrated Action Plans (IAPs) are not just a bureaucratic deliverable, but a reflection of each city's capacity to think, collaborate, and act strategically. In Part Two, we focus on a crucial question: Can these plans truly inspire people?
Can they move beyond PDF files and meeting rooms to become living visions that resonate with communities, guide decisions, and actually lead to change?

According to José Costero, the Ad Hoc Expert who reviewed all nine plans within the Residents of the Future network:

“The real challenge now is to ensure that each plan becomes more than a static product—it must be a shared narrative people recognise and believe in.”

The Art of rural streets rebellion

Rural communities are reclaiming their unique strengths -like trust, proximity, and creativity- to shape mobility and public spaces that are truly rooted in local culture. Instead of importing urban solutions, they’re innovating from within, using simple yet powerful ideas such as ride‑sharing benches and citizen‑run buses.

Night Economy and European Funding: Key Insights for Cities That Never Sleep

The plans that speak: What cities can learn from the URBACT IAP review - PART ONE

At the last international Residents of the Future meeting in Iisalmi (Finland), project coordinator Nikolina Gracin shared many "green dots" and check marks, confirming the project is on track. As we enter the final phase, it’s time to present your IAPs.

So, you’ve spent last two years gathering voices, testing new ideas, revisiting old truths, and dreaming about what your city could become. You’ve sat in rooms, real and virtual, with neighbours, officials, partners, and skeptics. You’ve zoomed in on population loss, zoomed out on wider trends, and tried to hold it all in one coherent picture. Your Integrated Action Plan is more than a document — it’s the voice of your city’s future. It’s the result of months, even years, of listening, learning, testing, failing, and trying again. It carries the vision of your residents, the priorities you’ve fought to define, and the first real steps toward reversing decline and building belonging.

Sant Boi de Llobregat (ES), 30 June - 1 July 2025 - 2Nite First International Meeting

After the Study Visit in Turin in November 2024, the first Transnational Meeting of the URBACT 2Nite project took place from June 30th to July 1st 2025 in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Spain), bringing together all city partners - Turin (lead partner - Italy), Riga (Latvia), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Sant Boi de Llobregat (Spain), and Quadrilátero Urbano (Portugal) - to reflect on local experiences, share progress, and align on the next steps for investment planning, always keeping in mind the main focus of the project.