News & Events

The ESPON-GILL Methodology for Quantifying the Demand for Green Infrastructure at Local Level is now publicly available. Developed under the Action 1 of the Urban Agenda for the EU Greening Cities Partnership, it provides municipalities with a flexible, evidence-based framework, interactive user manual and case-study dashboard to help identify where green infrastructure is most needed and inform local planning and investment.

What happens when two major EU decarbonisation obligations land on cities at the same time, but without a clear mechanism to connect them? The URBANEW - EMC3 project and the Building Decarbonisation Partnership are using that institutional gap as an opportunity to redesign how local energy planning is done: bringing together building renovation at neighbourhood level, heating and cooling planning, and every level of government needed to turn EU ambition into operational reality.

Increasing evidence suggests that traditional ways of managing water in our cities are not enough to meet the growing environmental pressures and changing social expectations. Water-sensitive planning is meant to design and manage cities so that the urban water cycle (rainfall, runoff, drainage, supply, and wastewater), functions in balance with natural hydrological processes rather than in conflict with them. But what does this mean in practice? Which water-sensitive solutions are available, and how can cities identify those best suited to their particular risks and territorial conditions?

Assessment of the first draft of the national building renovation plans

The Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Greening Cities met in Imola and Bologna on 29–30 June 2026 to take stock of its outputs, strengthen dissemination pathways, prepare its contribution to upcoming Nature Restoration Regulation capacity-building activities, and agree priorities for the Partnership’s final implementation phase.

The Compact Cities Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU has published its Orientation Paper, marking the completion of the first phase of the Partnership's work and setting the strategic direction for the actions to come.

Hosted by the Czech Ministry of Regional Development, the Water Sensitive City Partnership held its third in-person meeting in Prague on 24–25 June 2026. The two-day meeting marked an important transition towards finalising the Partnership’s draft Action Plan and implementation. Partners focused on strengthening connections between the different Actions, integrating the feedback received through the public consultation and agreeing on practical next steps.

One of the Food Partnership's key actions focuses on unlocking the potential of public land to strengthen local food policies. By improving access to land for local food producers, supporting smarter public land management, and integrating land use into urban food strategies, the initiative aims to build fairer and more sustainable food systems. It also explores how the EU can help cities replicate successful land management approaches across different contexts.

The first key findings from this Action are now available and will be disseminated through two webinars, the first of which is planned for 13 July 2026.

As European cities struggle with demographic decline and labour shortages, they also have a unique opportunity to harness diversity, talent and inclusion as drivers of sustainable urban development.

The Food Partnership recently hosted a webinar under Action 7 of the Food Action Plan, “Promoting Sustainable Public Food Procurement.” The session featured two speakers from ICLEI, Jean Marc Louvin and Monika Rut, who provided valuable insights into the evolving EU policy landscape for sustainable food procurement while highlighting practical approaches to implementation.

Bringing together policy perspectives and on-the-ground experience, the webinar aimed to strengthen understanding of EU initiatives in this field, showcase inspiring good practices, and explore how health, sustainability, and fairness can be effectively integrated into public food procurement through concrete examples.

The Urban Agenda for the EU Building Decarbonisation Partnership contributed to a high-level policy session at the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2026, held in Brussels on 11 June, bringing the perspective of cities and regions to the discussion on how local heating and cooling plans can help operationalise Europe's revised energy and building legislation.

Members of the Cities of Equality Partnership gathered in Barcelona on 4–5 June 2026 for two days of in-depth exchange on the progress of the Action Plan implementation, the partnership's connections to the evolving EU policy landscape, and the strategic choices that will shape its final months. Hosted by Barcelona City Council's Directorate of Democratic Participation and Innovation at the Canòdrom, the city's centre for digital democracy and technological innovation, the meeting combined plenary sessions, dedicated workshops on the three Actions and a site visit.