From 15 April to 30 June 2024, URBACT is offering cities throughout Europe the chance to highlight their successful urban projects or strategies through the Good Practices call. This initiative encourages cities to submit their most effective practices in sustainable urban development in any theme linked to Cohesion policy, such as carbon neutrality, circular economy, education, health, migration, local development, land use, research and innovation. As long as they meet the criteria of what is considered ‘good’, we want to hear about it!
Read on to discover the full range of benefits your city can gain by submitting an application.
#1 Get the recognition your city deserves
The URBACT Good Practice label ensures significant exposure and recognition across the EU. Labelled cities will be prominently featured in various URBACT communication channels, including the URBACT website, newsletters, and social media platforms. Additionally, each good practice will have its individual webpage showcased in the URBACT database of good practices.
To further enhance visibility, your practice will be featured in a press release and an infographic across URBACT’s main channels and partner accounts. Selected good practices will also be promoted at both EU and national levels through events organised by National URBACT Points, videos, and other visual communication tools.
Moreover, dissemination efforts will be reinforced through the European Commission’s channels, particularly via DG Regional and Urban Policy's social media accounts and external communication outlets such as Panorama, Inforegio, and RegioFlash. The European Urban Initiative Portico website will also play a role in making your city even more visible.
Stage of the URBACT City Festival 2017 in Tallinn, on 3-5 October.
#2 Shine under the spotlight at the URBACT City Festival 2025
Awarded cities are guests of honour at URBACT’s flagship event, the URBACT City Festival! Heldin Wroclaw, Poland, from 8-10 April 2025 - 10 years after its first edition in Riga - the Festival is an open, vibrant space for learning and collaboration. More than 500 city representatives, experts, and urban professionals will be there to exchange ideas and explore new partnerships. Anyone who has attended an URBACT City Festival before will tell you it’s not your usual conference!
A dedicated award ceremony will be held in the evening of 8 April supported by the Polish presidency of the EU Council. From 9 to 10 April, the Festival will:
- allow participants to increase their knowledge on urban topics by discovering other URBACT Good Practices and an array of European initiatives;
- give the floor to all awarded Good Practice cities to present their cases;
- host the first presentation of the URBACT Call for Transfer Networks, that will upscale some of the good practices to other European cities;
- facilitate networking to form an URBACT Transfer Network to run from 2025 to 2027.
There will also be plenty of social activities and surprises!
One delegate representing the selected Good Practice will be refunded by URBACT to take part in the event and play a leading role.
Group picture at the second day of the URBACT City Festival 2017 in Tallinn, on 3-5 October.
#3 Take the lead of an URBACT Transfer Network
Another significant benefit for selected cities is the opportunity to lead a transfer network. The city with an awarded URBACT Good Practice can act as a Lead Partner and transfer their good practice (together with their knowledge and know-how) to other European cities over a period of two years. The Good Practice city will lead and mentor the process of understanding, adapting, and reusing the good practice, refining and improving their own methodology through peer reviews and support from an URBACT expert. This opportunity not only solidifies the city’s reputation as pioneers in urban development but also encourages meaningful international collaborations.
In 2017, 97 URBACT Good Practices were awarded to cities from 25 EU countries. Of these, 23 were successfully transferred and adapted in 188 European cities from 2018-2022. This transfer experience has proved to be a valuable opportunity for those cities to play a leadership role in urban innovation to improve their original practice, and to contribute to the wider dissemination and implementation of effective urban policies and practices.
Maruška Markovčič from Ljubljana, Lead Partner of BeePathCities network, (2020) highlights the added value: “Whilst our key objective has always been about transferring the good practice to the other partners; we have also recognised that the partners have been incredibly important in improving our good practice. They have provided us with new ideas for our approach and linkages to other policy and practice focused on environmental sustainability.”
Apply now!
Interested in applying for the URBACT Call for Good Practices? It’s easy to do, and takes little time. There is a short form to complete, outlining the focus of your initiative, some evidence of impact, and how it fits the URBACT approach. Don’t hang around, you have until 30 June 2024.
For more details, visit the URBACT Get Involved page.
Further information:
- Watch the info sessions recordings:
1. Online info session: The call for Good Practices in a nutshell
2. Online info session: URBACT Good Practices – visibility opportunities for your city!
- Watch the application video tutorial
- Get in touch with the National Contact Point for support
- See previous URBACT City Festivals
