News & Events

The Food and Cities of Equality Partnerships of the Urban Agenda invite you to join the public consultation for their draft Action Plans and provide your insights and feedback on the proposed Actions aimed at addressing key urban challenges.

The Cities Forum 2025, the flagship urban event of the European Commission, will take place from 17 to 19 June in Krakow, Poland. Co-organised by DG REGIO and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), this biennial gathering will unite up to 800 participants, including urban practitioners and policymakers from across all levels of government to exchange ideas and shape the future of EU urban policy. With the theme “Empowering cities, shaping Europe’s future”, the Forum will address key urban challenges including housing, digital transformation, inclusive growth, and mobility.

The Action Plans of three Thematic Partnerships (Food, Cities of Equality, Public Procurement) were officially presented at the meeting of the Directors-General on Urban Matters (DGUM), held in Warsaw on 24-25 April. The DGUM serves as the central coordinating and decision-making body of the Urban Agenda for the EU; it brings together experts from EU Member States to discuss key issues emerging from the Urban Agenda, as well as broader challenges related to urban development across the EU.

The Greening Cities Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU has released a position paper urging bold reforms in EU and national funding systems to unlock large-scale investment in Urban Green Infrastructure (GI). As the European Union prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework and aligns funding with the Green Deal, the Nature Restoration Regulation, and the Biodiversity Strategy 2030, this timely paper sets out a concrete path to ensure cities have the financial support to lead the green transition.

The European Commission has launched a new public consultation aimed at shaping the future of urban development within the European Union. Under the working title "EU Agenda for Cities", this initiative aims to strengthen the EU’s role in supporting cities and ensure urban challenges are better addressed in future policymaking.

Since the launch of the Urban Agenda for the EU with the Pact of Amsterdam in 2016, 20 different Thematic Partnerships have been established, with eight currently active. Each Partnership involves a diverse range of stakeholders, ensuring multi-level governance, cooperation, and coordination across various levels—from EU institutions to national, regional, and local authorities, as well as research institutions, umbrella organisations, and other stakeholders to address key urban challenges.

On the first day of April, eight active thematic partnerships of the Urban Agenda convened in Brussels for the annual "Coordinators and Action Leaders" meeting (CALM), alongside representatives from the European Commission and European Urban Initiative. The meeting aimed to explore ways to promote synergies, collaboration, and joint initiatives among the various thematic partnerships.

How can cities stay ahead of emerging digital trends and strategically plan for future technological innovations? What role does the Urban Agenda play in addressing these challenges? To explore these questions, we collected examples and insights from different Thematic Partnerships, who shared their views on how the Urban Agenda has supported and can further advance the digital transition in urban areas.

Lille Metropole hosted a pivotal meeting of the Food Partnership on 24-25 March, bringing together members to finalise the Draft Action Plan. This gathering also provided an immersive experience in innovative local food practices, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The Building Decarbonisation Partnership is making steady progress in identifying key themes that will shape future strategies for decarbonising the built environment.

Cities Forum 2025, jointly organised by the European Commission (DG REGIO) and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), is now open for registration!

After the official launch at the end of January, the Water Sensitive City (WSC) Partnership continued its activity with an online meeting last week, on February 26. The meeting was attended by 28 participants and focused on refining the thematic scope of the Partnership, based on the topics of interest shared by the partners.