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URBACT-Accelerator-Call für Ukraine und Moldau & Chancen für deutsche Kommunen als Mentorstädte

Ein neues Programm für Städte aus der Ukraine und Moldau zur Stärkung der Strukturen und Kompetenzen in den Bereichen städtischer Wiederaufbau, Revitalisierung, Resilienz und Krisenmanagement.

From Cultural policies to Reflective Cities: how RECUP is shaping a new policy paradigm

By Elisa Filippi, 

Lead Expert REinventing Culture in Urban Places ITN URBACT Network

This is how we found ourselves entangled, connected to one another in a collective performance, moving and interpreting a live artwork together.

It happened on a cold November day under Dublin’s bright blue sky. And no, we were not in a theatre. We were in the meeting rooms of Sandyford Business District (IE), one of Ireland’s important centres for innovation and industry.

We were not a group of actors either. We were experts and city representatives from six European cities, gathered as part of the URBACT REinventing Culture in Urban Places Network (RECUP).

What brought us together was a simple question: can culture become an enabling force for cities seeking to address loneliness and social fragmentation?

This is precisely what the RECUP network set out to explore, building on the good practice developed in Újbuda – XI District of Budapest (HU) through the Urban Innovative Actions project CUP4Creativity. That project tested a shift in cultural policy: from culture as something people consume, to culture as something people co-create.

Kuidas Euroopa linnad kujundavad noortesõbralikku tulevikku

Linnaruumid on ühenduste loomise paigad. Uuri, kuidas linnad kohtuvad noortega nii füüsilises kui ka digitaalses ruumis.

Insights and advancements from from quartely network journal #2

Local groups and local stakeholders, what a role! One of the defining features of the URBACT Innovative Transfer Network is the central role played by the URBACT Local Groups (ULGs). EmPowerIngUs makes shows clearly how across the five partner cities, these multi-stakeholder platforms are supporting the transfer of the Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit (EPIU) Good Practice from Getafe, Spain, while adapting its methods to local contexts and priorities.

Although each city has developed its own governance structure, all ULGs share a common objective: bringing together public authorities, social actors, technical experts and community representatives to address energy poverty through collaborative and integrated approaches.  

From knowledge transfer to local action: key lessons from the EmPowerIngUs Transnational Meeting in Etterbeek

Written by Marta Acosta and Fernando Gonzalez

The second Transnational Meeting (TNM) of the URBACT Innovation Transfer Network EmPowerIngUs took place in Etterbeek, Belgium at the beginning of June 2025, bringing together representatives from Getafe, Maia, Trikala, Pomorie and the host city. The meeting marked an important step in the network’s evolution, moving from the initial phase of mutual learning towards the practical preparation of local transfer actions aimed at tackling energy poverty and promoting healthier, more resilient communities.

Insights and advancements from quartely network journal #1

Joining forces on #energypoverty

Across Europe, local authorities are increasingly facing the challenge of helping vulnerable households cope with rising energy costs while supporting a fair and inclusive energy transition. The EmPowerIngUs project, funded through the URBACT programme, is demonstrating how international cooperation can help cities address this challenge more effectively.