Have Your Say: Shaping the EU Agenda for Cities

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.

What is the new EU Agenda for Cities?

Announced in President Ursula von der Leyen’s mission letter to Executive Vice-President Fitto, this ambitious agenda will serve as a forward-looking vision for urban areas. It will focus on key issues such as housing, climate action, mobility, digitalisation, social inclusion, and equality—while also promoting cities as vital engines of innovation, economic growth, and competitiveness.

Recognising that cities play a central role in implementing EU policies on sustainable development, the new policy agenda for cities aims to streamline existing support mechanisms and enhance coordination at the EU level. Particular attention will be given to smaller cities and towns that often struggle with limited administrative and financial capacities.

The initiative responds to the growing need for a more cohesive and strategic approach to urban policy. It will assess existing EU tools, funding schemes, and policy frameworks relevant to urban areas, ensuring they are more accessible, efficient, and impactful.

The dual objectives of the agenda are:

To organise and improve existing EU support for urban areas, ensuring that resources are better targeted and easier to access.
To elevate the EU’s ambitions for sustainable urban development, ensuring that the needs of cities are integrated into future EU policymaking and supported by effective governance structures.

Why This Matters

Europe’s cities are home to 75% of the population and are at the frontline of major challenges like climate change, migration, economic transition, and digitalisation. Better EU support can empower cities to innovate, collaborate, and drive meaningful change at the local level.

This initiative aims to:

Align urban needs with EU priorities (e.g., the Green Deal, digital transformation)
Enhance coordination across funding instruments and programmes
Foster multi-level governance involving cities more directly in EU policy shaping

During the last CALM meeting, Coordinators and Action Leaders of the eight ongoing Urban Agenda Thematic Partnerships recognised the importance of collaborating to strengthen their collective voice, respond jointly to public consultations, and adopt a unified stance on key urban challenges. This consultation represents a crucial opportunity for the Urban Agenda Partnerships to make their voices heard and to place the needs of cities at the heart of the EU debate on the new EU funding and policy framework.

How to Participate

The feedback period runs from 14 April to 26 May 2025. Cities and all stakeholders involved in sustainable urban development are encouraged to contribute by:

Sharing the key priorities and concerns of their city or organisation
Identifying areas where EU support has been effective—or where there’s room for improvement
Offering ideas on how cities can be better integrated into policymaking processes

Replies can be made in any of the EU’s 24 official languages, via the Have your Say portal.

All details about the consultation, including instructions on how to provide feedback, are available at the following link.

A stakeholder dialogue will also be organised in June 2025, as part of the 6th edition of the Cities Forum.