Networks and cities' news

PUMA – it is all about PEOPLE!

PUMA – Plans for Urban Mobility Actions is a project about how to plan and promote sustainable mobility in cities with different size and realities.

TechDiversity project: What makes a small-medium city more diverse in its digital ecosystem?

Cities After Dark: exploring night-time urban dynamics

Cities After Dark: exploring night-time urban dynamics

Cities are designed to work well during the day, but what happens when night falls? Several activities happen between 6 pm and 6 am, including dining, entertainment, culture and retail but also services such as public transport, healthcare, environmental care, social services, and logistics.

Many cities globally have a significant number of people working at night. For example, New York City has 300,000 jobs supported by night-time economy, while in London it contributes to 1 in every 8 jobs. However, this isn’t just a concern for major cities. Cities of different sizes are investing on an inclusive and multifaceted night-time economy, which contributes to improve city attractiveness and quality of life and fosters new forms of economic and social development. 

Alytus meeting

C4TALENT recently held its first face-to-face "Ready for Action" meeting in Alytus, Lithuania on November 22-23.

Lead Expert Béla Kézy's summary on the event:

Leaving No-one Behind in a Digital World

Technology is a marvellous thing. The Covid-19 pandemic has helped us to take a huge leap forward in embracing digital technology in all walks of life. From remote working, to online shopping, to greater acceptance of digital signatures, submitting our tax forms online, video-calling our friends and family in other countries with just a few clicks, using digital tickets for trains and buses, social gaming with our friends online, and fast contactless payments with one tap of our smartphone. Life has never been smoother.

Or has it….?

Digital solutions are making a huge difference to our lives. But not everyone experiences those differences in a positive way. What if you don’t have a smartphone? Or don’t have internet at home? What if you’ve never learnt to use a PC or tablet? What if you fear getting scammed and your money stolen, like your friend did last year…?!

For so many people in our communities, technology is not a marvellous thing – it’s something which makes them feel excluded and makes life more difficult.

BiodiverCity: Community-based approaches to foster urban biodiversity

In the bustling cities of our Network, a remarkable initiative called BiodiverCity is taking root. With a vision to harness the power of nature-based solutions, BiodiverCity aims to measure biodiversity and account for the related ecosystem services to design and scale up transformative projects. The partner cities of this URBACT project envision a future where vibrant urban ecosystems and community-driven actions harmoniously coexist.