Over the next 18 months, the programme will support 27 municipalities from the Western Balkans in transforming local governance by drawing on URBACT’s expertise and real-life experiences from EU cities.
Structured around four thematic clusters - Mobility, Sustainable Tourism, Waste Management, and Urban Nature – this programme addresses some of the most pressing urban challenges.
Thematic cluster | City | Country |
Mobility | Municipality of Arandjelovac | Serbia |
Subotica - Public Enterprise PERMUPHS | Serbia | |
City of Sremska Mitrovica | Serbia | |
City of Tuzla | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
Municipality of Tivat | Montenegro | |
Miunicipality of Himara | Albania | |
Waste Management | Municipality of Shtip | North Macedonia |
Municipality of Herceg Novi | Montenegro | |
Municipality of Backi Petrovac | Serbia | |
City of Novi Pazar 2 | Serbia | |
Municipality of Kamza | Albania | |
City of Mostar | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
Trebinje - Development Agency - TREDEA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
Urban Nature | City of Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
City of Bijeljina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
City of Banja Luka | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
City of Doboj | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
Municipality of Nikšić | Montenegro | |
Municipality of Vinica | North Macedonia | |
City of Zrenjanin | Serbia | |
City of Kragujevac | Serbia | |
City of Nis | Serbia | |
Sustainable Tourism | Kakanj Municipality | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
City of Široki Brijeg | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
Municipality of Lezhë | Albania | |
City of Smederevo | Serbia | |
Senta | Serbia |
Picture of the URBACT Pioneers, Cities Forum 2025 in Krakow, Poland.
What is the URBACT Pioneers Accelerator?
The URBACT Pioneer Accelerator is a structured and inspiring learning journey that helps cities lead sustainable change. It supports them in understanding EU urban development policies while fostering innovation through integrated and participatory approaches.
The programme’s three core learning dimensions are:
- Embrace – Cities are introduced to the URBACT method and planning tools through masterclasses, workshops, and coaching.
- Explore – Thematic clusters embark on in-depth study visits to leading EU cities, learning from hands-on examples.
- Act – Cities implement local ‘quick-win’ pilot actions, involving stakeholders and testing integrated solutions at neighbourhood or city level.
The URBACT Pioneer Accelerator is divided into four key phases:
- Discover (Apr–Aug 2025): Introduction to the programme, theme exploration, and local context analysis.
- Define (Sep–Dec 2025): Synthesis of findings, stakeholder engagement, and vision-building.
- Develop (Jan–May 2026): Co-creation of plans for small-scale pilot actions.
- Deliver (Jun–Sep 2026): Implementation and documentation of pilot actions for shared learning.
The programme emphasises strong communication and stakeholder engagement to build a shared vision and achieve meaningful local impact.
A smarter approach to city funding
The URBACT Pioneer Accelerator also introduces an important administrative innovation: the draft budget framework. This tool significantly reduces administrative burden for cities, allowing them to focus on learning, innovation, and impact.
Meet the experts
A skilled and diverse team of validated URBACT experts will guide the journey:
Steering experts, Liat Rogel and Agnieszka Płoska will guide cities through each step of the journey, from training and coaching to methodology and monitoring.
Thematic Experts guiding respective thematic clusters:
Mobility: András Ekés
Sustainable Tourism: Donagh Horgan
Waste Management: Nuša Lazar
Urban Nature: Kerri Farnsworth (as Lead thematic expert) & Gitty Korsuize (as Specialist in Biodiversity and Nature restoration)
Given its scope, the Urban Nature cluster will receive additional support, with biodiversity and nature restoration seen a cross-cutting priorities across all clusters.
From September 2025, URBACT Local Mentors will be appointed to provide hands-on guidance in national languages, helping cities apply tools and engage stakeholders effectively.
What’s next?
The Discover Phase is already in motion, with activities including:
Thematic experts developing a state-of-the-art overview and mapping inspiring cities for study visits.
Online Masterclass #1: Context Analysis (3–4 July 2025)
The Define Phase will include:
Event in Ljubljana, Slovenia (16–18 September): community building and capacity development.
Masterclass #2: Visioning and Goal Setting
Thematic Expeditions (October)
Masterclass #3: Storytelling for stakeholder involvement (November)
Hear from the URBACT Pioneers Accelerator themselves! Watch their videos below:
URBACT Pioneers Accelerator: Mirsada Čizmić, Kakanj - Bosnia and Herzegovina
URBACT Pioneers Accelerator: Ankica Todorović, Bijeljina - Bosnia and Herzegovina
URBACT Pioneers Accelerator: Tijana Vujičić, Banja Luka - Bosnia and Herzegovina
URBACT Pioneers Accelerator: István Mikusák, Senta - Serbia
Stay tuned as the journey unfolds — and follow the Pioneers as they lay the foundation for resilient, future-ready cities across the Western Balkans!
A dedicated project page will soon be live on the URBACT website.
Read the results from the previous URBACT Pioneers Accelerator call for applications. You can also access information from the previous launch here.
