Networks and cities' news

A VITAL CITIES LABEL: What is it and how could your city earn it?

With recent changes in our life styles, opportunities to be physically active are decreasing. This phenomenon is especially apparent in urban areas where sedentary lifestyle is the new norm amongst the working age population. While there is a body of empirical evidence showing associated health risks, it has also been proven that anyone who increases their level of physical activity, even after a long gap, can obtain health benefits irrespective of their age. It is never too late to start. However a group of cities is dedicated this phenomena and therefore decided within the framework of the Vital Cities network, to create a Vital Cities label.

Vital Cities

With recent changes in our life styles, opportunities to be physically active are decreasing. This phenomenon is especially apparent in urban areas where sedentary lifestyle is the new norm amongst the working age population. While there is a body of empirical evidence showing associated health risks, it has also been proven that anyone who increases their level of physical activity, even after a long gap, can obtain health benefits irrespective of their age. In other words, it is never too late to start.

To promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle in the urban environment, a group of cities have joined forces and created the VITAL CITIES network. The network was formed as part of URBACT, a European exchange and learning programme, with the purpose to facilitate social inclusion and combat inactivity. Participating cities entered a dialogue and learning process to find out how to redesign and reconstruct public spaces and turn them into a low threshold sport facilities close to people's homes.

The result of the process is a set of innovative tools and methods to be used in urban design and planning to reshape public spaces linked to sport and physical activity. The findings and conclusions of VITAL CITIES are relevant for the different governmental levels, including the European Commission.

INT-HERIT TRANSNATIONAL MEETING IN ALBA IULIA

The INT-HERIT network organised this meeting in Alba Iulia for two dozen attendants coming from all the partner cities involved in this URBACT III Project. An opportunity to travel to the core of one of the most relevant historical places in Romania.

REVISITED SITES

On the occasion of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, Europa Nostra and its President Maestro Plácido Domingo invited all citizens in Europe and beyond to contribute to the #Ode2Joy Challenge. The best entries in the Ode2Joy Challenge will be included in a special video of the project which will be shown on 22 June during the European Heritage Awards Ceremony at the Berlin Congress Centre.

The URBACT Local Groups meaning during implementation stage

Implementation Networks (IN) are a new initiative within the URBACT Program, joining European cities involved in the implementation phase of their local urban plans. The particular features existing in this step predetermine the conditions around all dimensions included in their performance. One important topic in this process is how an efficient participatory approach should be promoted, according the URBACT method recommendation.

PEER REVIEW: An useful learning tool during the implementation of activities in the INT-HERIT cities

Peer Review is a helpful and frequently used methodology in the URBACT Programme as well as within the frame of the INT-HERIT Project.