News & Events

In the wake of unprecedented challenges faced by the tourism industry, the Urban Agenda Thematic Partnership on Sustainable Tourism has embarked on a transformative journey towards fostering sustainable urban development interlinked with tourism practices. This journey, rooted in a multi-stakeholder approach, seeks to reconcile local economic prosperity with environmental stewardship and social equity in the framework of urban touristic destinations.

The Ex-Ante Assessment (EAA) on the Food Thematic Area provided a solid background to position and orient the new Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Food, by identifying existing gaps, key challenges, and areas of intervention. The Food Thematic Partnership started its work with the analysis of the priority themes identified in the EAA, by selecting the most relevant and urgent topics representing key challenges addressed by cities in the process of local food systems transformation.

In an inspiring gathering hosted by the City of Pontevedra, the Greening Cities Partnership, under the Urban Agenda for the EU, held its pivotal fifth in-person meeting on April 4th and 5th, 2024. This meeting was crucial in the lead-up to presenting the draft Action Plan to the Urban Development Group advisory board meeting, scheduled for April 25th, 2024, in Namur, under the Belgian Presidency.

After two online meetings the Food Partnership met in person for the first time in Brussels on 7 March. The meeting marked a significant milestone in the journey of the Food Partnership toward the definition of a common vision and shared goals.

The Food Thematic Partnership was officially launched on 30 January 2024 with a first online meeting.

In an ambitious stride toward sustainable urban development, the Greening Cities Thematic Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU has taken a significant step by launching a comprehensive survey aimed at public authorities at the national, regional, and local levels across Europe.

This year the European Urban Initiative and URBACT are co-organising a series of three EU City Labs on Food. Are you interested in local food systems? Join us in Mouans-Sartoux, France, on 21 and 22 March for the first in the series!

Europe’s towns and cities can be powerful drivers of transformation for the common good. Concentrating large, diverse populations, cities are well placed to pilot new approaches and motivate transition towards just, green and productive societies. 

As the new year is kicking off so is the Urban Agenda for the EU with a total of seven active Thematic Partnerships, all at different stages of their process. As these partnerships are evolving, we are happy to announce that two new topics for Thematic Partnerships within the framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU have been endorsed!