How to accelerate cities’ transition to the circular economy

Cities can be pioneers in the path towards the circular economy through the creation and demonstration of new business models.

URBACT and the UK cities

A message about URBACT beneficiaries and experts from the UK.

Communities and NGOs respond to COVID-19 – acts of kindness, agile responses and the rejuvenation of civic society

In Brighton and Hove (UK) NGOs, established community organisations and local residents have quickly responded to those most in need. Meanwhile a new dynamism within civic society has emerged with new active participants - previously absent from traditional community engagement – are playing a key role in combating the worst effects of COVID-19. 

How do RU:RBAN cities face COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked and overturned the lives of the entire globe, this is a certainty… without a doubt. The virus has affected countries on the same continent unequally, but each and one of them is fighting it. How are countries reacting, what measures are they taking, what are the effects on society? The answer to these questions has been on our every-day news for the last three months: with enormous difficulties, restrictions on our most inalienable freedoms and, above all, indescribable pain and loss. 

Digital Builder program, how Métropole du Grand Paris gathers a community of local civil servants to develop new services

“Digital Builders”, this is the name of the initiative launched by the Métropole du Grand Paris based on InnovaTO project. The aim of Digital Builder program is to gather a community of local civil servants mobilised to collectively develop new digital public services on a metropolitan scale.

By Edoardo Paradisi

Climate change and Covid-19 – a tale of two crises

What if we treated the climate crisis with as much urgency as Covid-19?

How Kavala is using public procurement to build local resilience.

In today’s conditions, politics, development, and economy should derive from the central government as well as from local and regional administration. The objective of Kavala’s municipal development strategy is to strengthen its administrative, economic, social, and developmental role. A necessary condition for the exercise of this role is the reform of the procurement system as a result of an in depth analysis and a broader understanding of public procurement.

The first steps taken by Iaşi to experiment on urban commons

George Marius Homocianu, Project manager of the City of Iaşi for the Civic eState Transfer Network, on how his city is working to implements policy that could help the birth and management of urban commons.

Pic by Tudor Maciu on Unsplash

From Rome to Barranquilla…sharing knowledge on urban agriculture

An interesting initiative is launched by ANCI Lazio, the Association of the 376 Municipalities of the Lazio Region (Italy), as part of the last IUC (International Urban Cooperation program) Call, to start a process of cooperation with the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Soledad in the context of immigrants integration, specifically Venezuelans. RURBAN was taken as an example of the tools for integrating immigrants into local communities.

ON BOARD Partners’ Actions on Education to respond to COVID19

The Coronavirus health and social crisis is hitting hard our cities. Public health systems are put under enormous strain. Other welfare areas, such as Education, have come immediately afterwards, due to the containment measures. The situation imposed by COVID-19 has led educational centres to move their classrooms to each of the students’ houses. As well as the teachers now transfer knowledge through the screens.