The deadline for the EUI Peer Review Call is approaching!
Dive into the article to learn how the process works and discover the experiences of other beneficiary cities who have already taken part.
What is a Peer Review?
A Peer Review is a capacity-building activity offered by the European Urban Initiative (EUI) to help European cities strengthen the design and implementation of their Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) strategies. It’s all about learning from each other through benchmarking and peer exchange.
Each Peer Review brings together one “city under review”, the main beneficiary, and up to six “peer reviewer” cities. Together, they explore concrete challenges in developing, implementing, or monitoring effective SUD strategies.
The process begins when a city identifies the specific challenge it wants to tackle. Based on this, it is matched with peer cities that have relevant experiences and insights to share. Throughout the process, the city under review is supported by two expert facilitators, who guide the discussions and help turn ideas into actionable lessons.
What are the benefits?
Cities under review can gain a lot from taking part in an EUI Peer Review. They benefit from:
- A structured self-assessment process that helps identify concrete needs in developing, implementing, or monitoring their Sustainable Urban Development Strategy.
- Tailored feedback and inspiration from peers who share practical experiences and solutions to similar challenges.
- Continuous guidance and expert support from the team of EUI experts and the EUI Secretariat throughout the process.
While the benefits for a city under review may be more obvious, the advantages for peer reviewers, and the cities they represent, are often less visible. Peer reviewers also gain significant value from the process. Participating allows them to share their experiences, learn from other cities’ approaches, and strengthen their own Sustainable Urban Development strategies.
Experiences and insights from UAEU cities
In previous calls, various cities involved in the Urban Agenda for the EU partnerships participated as peer reviewers and cities under review, gaining insights and connections that have helped shape their urban development practices.
One of the UAEU cities that benefited from the peer review process, as city under review, is the City of Ostrava, member of the Greening Cities Partnership. Jiří Svobodník, representing the city, highlighted several key advantages of participating in a peer review, including:
- Cities under review benefit from ongoing collaboration with EUI experts even before the on-site meeting. This helps them clearly define their three guiding questions and focus their efforts effectively.
- Host cities can present both their good practices and the challenges they face, providing a balanced, real-world learning experience for all participants.
- For one of the three guiding questions, a dedicated expert designs a tailor-made workshop using gamification techniques to creatively tackle complex urban challenges.
- The peer review supports cities in formulating actionable steps to address their guiding questions and move toward effective implementation.
- An informal, friendly atmosphere at peer review meetings.
- A follow-up workshop six months after the review allows cities to present progress, reflect on achievements, and refine next steps with expert feedback.
Two cities from the Sustainable Tourism Partnership, which acted as peer reviewers, Venice and Genoa, confirmed their positive experience with the peer review process.
Although European cities are very diverse, they face many common challenges, including sustainable tourism, climate change, sustainable mobility, and the sharp decline of population in historic centers. Peer reviews offer a valuable opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenges, and identify practical solutions for achieving sustainable and inclusive urban growth.
The Peer Review is an excellent tool to exchange good practices and experiences with other cities: as Peer Reviewer, Genoa had the opportunity to share insights and recommendations, but also to learn from other territories, enriching the portfolio of relations as well. Thanks to the Peer Review, you could easily join further EUI initiatives, as the City-to-City exchanges!
Want to apply?
Check the European Urban Initiative (EUI) webpage for full details on eligibility criteria and the application process.
Need more time?
Explore past experiences from other cities for inspiration and start preparing your city for the next call in Spring 2026!