From action to impact: Greening Cities Partnership meets in Krakow to chart the path ahead
The meeting took place at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology and was co-hosted by the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal’s Office of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, and the City of Krakow. Hosts shared Poland’s multi-level strategies for greener cities, including the National Urban Policy 2030, the Krakow Green Path to Climate Neutrality—recently endorsed at the Net Zero Cities conference in Vilnius—and key initiatives from the Masovian Voivodeship Region. These local and national ambitions set the stage for two days of productive collaboration.
Aligning actions for the final stage
The first day opened with presentations from all Action co-leaders, offering content-focused updates on progress, challenges, and outputs. These included key deliverables such as the successful webinar series on the Nature Restoration Regulation and the recently published Position Paper on EU Funding Reform, which calls for a stronger integration of green infrastructure in the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.
Building on these achievements, partners used the Output Typology Index as a shared reference to reflect on the quality, coherence, and usability of outputs across Actions. They worked collaboratively to identify interlinkages between deliverables and fine-tune their finalization timelines—ensuring that the outputs will be accessible, strategically aligned, and relevant to local and EU policy debates.
Building the tools to green Europe’s cities
A core focus of the meeting was the collaborative planning of the Partnership’s final deliverables, including—but not limited to—the Urban Ecosystem Restoration Manual (UERM). This flagship tool will consolidate insights from across the Partnership into a concise, visually rich, and user-friendly format tailored to the needs of local authorities.
Breakout sessions allowed each working group to review its contributions, assess needed expertise, and map out realistic timelines. Discussions emphasised the need to develop tools that increase the capacity of local administrations—tools that are actionable, adaptable, and easy to communicate. The UERM, to be finalised by the end of the year, will serve as a practical reference for cities working to meet the targets of the Nature Restoration Regulation and other EU frameworks.
Mobilising political momentum for strategic visibility
On Day 2, attention shifted toward the Partnership’s broader influence: how to leverage upcoming political and policy moments to maximise the visibility and impact of its outputs. Participants explored how to engage in global, EU and national-level events and reviewed key messages to be used in communications beginning in September.
Plenary discussions underscored the need for political buy-in, particularly in the context of the Danish and Cypriot EU Presidencies. They also stressed the importance of addressing the knowledge gap in urban greening across academia and governance. Two upcoming workshops at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025—recently approved—were fine-tuned during the session to strengthen their role in reaching policymakers, practitioners, and local stakeholders.
Nurturing synergies for greater impact
The Partnership also revisited synergies with other ongoing UAEU Partnerships, guided by the CALM Synergy Matrix. High-potential collaborations were identified with the Water Sensitive City, Compact Cities, and Food Partnerships, while links to initiatives such as NetZeroCities were seen as critical for exploring how green infrastructure can support social inclusion.
Participants also raised the idea of continuing cooperation through new structures beyond the formal UAEU framework—such as Other Forms of Cooperation (OFCs)—to preserve and build on the results of the Partnership after its formal conclusion.
Unlocking urban potential through European Cooperation
Immediately following the Krakow meeting, Partnership members took part in the Cities Forum 2025 at the ICE Congress Centre. Activities included participation in the opening ceremony, site visits, plenary sessions, networking events, and engagement at the Urban Agenda for the EU exhibition stand.
Ingrid Gojevic, representing the Greening Cities Partnership, took the stage in the Urban Agenda dedicated panel “Unlocking urban potential through European cooperation” joining representatives from other active Urban Agenda Partnerships. During this discussion, Ms. Gojevic outlined the critical timing of the Greening Cities Partnership—aligning with the roll-out of the Nature Restoration Regulation—and underscored key challenges that Urban Agenda Partnerships are addressing such as limited capacity in local administrations, lack of awareness for EU regulations, and the need for cross-sectoral coordination. Ms. Gojevic also highlighted practical contributions of the Greening Cities Partnership: the webinar series, which supports local implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation implementation, and the Position Paper on funding reform, which advocates for stronger funding mechanisms for urban greening in the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the EU.
Looking ahead
With first results delivered and key outputs on the horizon, the Greening Cities Partnership enters a decisive phase. The proposed extension of its timeline will enable members to finalise deliverables—such as the Urban Ecosystem Restoration Manual—and maximise strategic outreach during pivotal policy moments in 2025.
As the Partnership deepens collaboration and scales its advocacy, it continues to shape the tools, knowledge, and political momentum needed to make greener cities a reality across the EU.
