High participation marks the Call for the new Thematic Partnership on Compact Cities

The Urban Agenda for the EU continues to foster collaboration and innovation in sustainable urban development. The latest call for a new Thematic Partnership on Compact Cities, which closed on 1 October 2025, attracted significant interest from cities and stakeholders across Europe. The high number of applications demonstrates the growing relevance of compact, efficient, and liveable urban models for cities of all sizes.

Highlights from the call

99 applications were submitted from across nearly all EU Member States, reflecting strong and widespread interest in the Compact Cities theme.

Applicants represented a diverse mix of stakeholders , including urban authorities, regions, Member and Partner States, umbrella organisations, and other key actors, laying the groundwork for a well-balanced and impactful Thematic Partnership.

Given the complex and cross-cutting nature of the topic, building a diverse and interdisciplinary partnership is essential.

The Compact Cities Partnership aims to bring together expertise from multiple fields to bridge existing knowledge gaps and strengthen implementation capacity. Ensuring representation from different sectors, governance levels, and city sizes will be key to creating a truly inclusive and effective collaboration.

What's next

The selection process is currently underway. Once finalised, a proposed list of selected partners will be presented to the Directors Generals on Urban Matters (DGUM) in November 2025 for their endorsement before the end of the year. If the DGUM’s decision is positive, the Partnerships on Compact Cities – Sustainable Urban Planning and Sprawl Mitigation will be officially established.

The Partnership is expected to be launched by the end of the year, with the first meeting planned for January 2026.

Check the Compact Cities Partnership webpage for updates!

Want to learn more about the topic?

Have a look at the key documents and the interview with the Ex-Ante Assessment expert for additional background and insights on the topic: