URBACT Local Group (ULG) Meetings: Fostering Collaboration and Digital Inclusion

In the realm of urban development, fostering collaboration and inclusivity is paramount to crafting effective strategies for growth and innovation. Within the DIGI-INCLUSION network, and indeed across all Integrated Action Plan networks of the URBACT program, URBACT Local Groups (ULG) emerge as linchpins for co-producing city strategies and Action Plans. The primary aim of the ULG is to convene various stakeholders, each with their own interests and viewpoints, to identify issues, establish policy priorities, and devise practical solutions in the most effective manner possible, using the Problem Tree method – to systematically identify and analyze the root causes of issues -. So far, there are two remarkable experiences by our DIGI-INCLUSION network partners: Gdańsk Entrepreneurship Foundation (Poland) and Jelgava Local Municipality (Latvia), where ULG meetings have catalyzed transformative change and paved the way for a more digitally inclusive future.

Power to the people: Rethinking city governance

This article is written by Dr Michael Shank at the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, 7 Jan 2024

How cities in Europe are retrofitting to reflect new climate realities and community needs

URBACT IN4GREEN NETWORK ADVANCES GREEN INDUSTRIAL TRANSITION IN 10 EUROPEAN CITIES

Solingen hosts the second meeting of the EU funded network for the exchange of experiences and collaborative learning on local solutions 

Recap of the network meeting in Budaörs & Banská Bystrica

The second Core Network Meeting of the Agents of Co-Existence (AoCE) network took place from 4th March 2024 to 7th March 2024. Due to the close geographical proximity of Budaörs (Hungary) and Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) we were able to organise another joint transnational meeting – and again minimising our ecological footprint – consisting of visits of these two lovely cities, located at the heart of (Central) Europe.

Green light!

Same Journey; new stages…

As I write this, I’ve just changed trains - moving to the next phase of a journey to another country in Europe. Whilst this current train journey is not related to the Digi-Inclusion project, that is a very different situation to the months before the New Year, when Digi-Inclusion travel was pretty much all I knew!

The initial period of any URBACT project is an intense yet rewarding experience, and that time last year was no exception – getting to see first-hand the starting point of all our nine project partners in the network, visiting each one in turn to meet their municipal teams, local stakeholders and partners, and to get a sense of the place and it’s local context.

Transnational meeting on employment of the WELDI project by Fundão, Portugal

Transnational meeting on employment of the WELDI project by Fundão, Portugal 

WELDI’s second transnational meeting took place online and was organized by the city of Fundão. Fundão has a rich history influenced by various cultures over the centuries. Its development is linked to agriculture, crafts and other local economic activities. This first thematic meeting addressed the subject of employment for newcomers. This is an essential aspect of the project, and one in which Fundão has a great deal of experience.