Working with Eurocities
For the City of Toulouse, Eurocities is first and foremost a network for learning from other cities, improving public policies and sharing successful local initiatives with partners across Europe. The network has helped Toulouse build new partnerships and develop European projects. This includes an Erasmus+ funded project led by the city’s Children and Leisure Department, running until December 2027, as well as new partnerships for Erasmus study visits.
Eurocities also helps Toulouse connect European policymaking with the day-to-day work of the city administration. During study visits to Brussels, city colleagues spend time with the Eurocities team to learn more about the network’s activities and the European policy landscape. These exchanges make Europe more tangible and encourage colleagues to become more engaged at European level.
Toulouse is strongly committed to joining forces with other European cities to ensure that their shared priorities are heard in Brussels. This is reflected in the city’s engagement on issues such as the negotiations for the EU’s 2028-2034 budget and its interaction with European policymakers, including the European Commissioner responsible for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport.
Above all, Toulouse says that Eurocities give the city the opportunity to meet colleagues from across Europe, exchange practical ideas and find inspiration for tackling common urban challenges. The quality of these exchanges and the relationships built through the network continue to strengthen the city’s European engagement.
What people need to know about the city
Welcome to Toulouse, the so-called “pink city” where life is good. Dynamic and innovative, Toulouse is France’s fourth-largest city located in the heart of the South-West of France.
Toulouse is an urban area that boasts multiple attributes that seduce entrepreneurs and travellers alike. Indeed, Toulouse has a worldwide reputation as the capital of aeronautics and space, hosting major economic projects and world-leading companies such as Airbus, ATR, Thales, Actia, Evotec and even NXP. The City is at the cutting edge of the Space and digital sectors, transport and mobility of tomorrow and technologies of the future. Its unique ecosystem is particularly adept at inspiring the work of businesses, universities and research centres. Toulouse accounts for 25% of French R&D. It is second behind Paris regarding the number of researchers. It has around 600 start-ups working and innovating in the region. The University of Toulouse is the 2nd largest university in France, excluding Paris, representing 130,000 students, of which 15,000 are foreign students.
Whether you are visiting Toulouse for the first time or you are regular, the beauty of the “pink city” is always astounding. Toulouse is a place where you can enjoy a truly relaxed way of life. In Toulouse, conviviality and sharing are expressed in one word: convivencia, and this is reflected in the multiple aesthetics of its music festivals: Piano aux Jacobins, Toulouse les Orgues, Rio Loco, Electro Alternativ, les Siestes Électroniques, Festival de Toulouse and Rose Festival. More than 30 festivals are organised in the region throughout the year. Because in Toulouse, music is everything, from the most learned to the loudest. We listen to it and experience it in concert halls steeped in history. Here, you’re born a musician, you grow up with music and experience music around every corner… The city shines thanks to the international renown of the Orchestre National du Capitole and the operas and ballets of the Opéra National du Capitole. This musical culture, shared by all Toulousans, whether by birth or adoption, is at the heart of the city’s identity. Toulouse loves music, and you can hear it!
Toulouse is a leading city in terms of scientific culture. Historically, this specificity is explained by the presence of one of the oldest universities in France, along with those of Paris and Montpellier, by the company of very dynamic learned societies since the 16th century, one of the oldest museums in the region (founded in 1865), and by the presence in the 20th century of the pioneers of airmail, followed by the development and deployment of significant aeronautics and aerospace manufacturers. This political will to promote scientific, technical and industrial culture made Toulouse the first French city to be awarded the “European City of Science” label in 2018. The Universe is on show at the Cité de l’Espace, and the exploits of legendary aircraft can be discovered on the Airbus assembly lines, at the Aeroscopia Museum or on the new Piste des Géants site. Finally, the possibilities for having fun with science are endless at the Muséum and the Quai des Savoirs.
Modern and cosmopolitan, Toulouse remains on a human scale and can be easily explored on foot, by bike or aboard a boat along its waterways. The river Garonne is appreciated for its exceptional setting alongside the dome of La Grave. This is the most photographed spot in town. The city has around 160 parks and gardens, providing space for nature and relaxation. We shouldn’t forget the emblematic Toulouse violet either, cultivated for its colour and delicate fragrance and used in confectionary and beauty products.
