Cities are the linchpins of successful cohesion in Europe. It’s no surprise that local governments have much to say about the new challenges for Europe’s cohesion, the main topic of the 20th edition of EU Regions Week.
The EU Regions Week will take place in Brussels from 10 to 13 October 2022, bringing together European regions and cities, academics and experts in the most challenging fields.
Digital inclusion, green transition, territorial cohesion, and youth participation are all challenges that European local governments deal with to be discussed during the week.
Join us in the sessions where Eurocities policy advisors or members participate in presenting projects’ insights and the good practices of European local governments.
Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Young migrants and cities – new pathways for local participation and inclusion
How are migrants shaping urban spaces? How can both cities and migrant communities benefit from new approaches to exchanges, collaboration and participation?
Rossella Nicoletti, Eurocities Project Coordinator, organises this workshop with UNITEE and INTEGRIM Lab to focus on the movement and local inclusion of young migrants in Europe in social and territorial cohesion from a local perspective.
The session will explore the challenges faced by migrants, mainly young migrants, as well as their visions and needs as they try to find jobs and settle in Europe.
When – from 11:30 to 13:00
Register here.
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
RePowerEU: the role of cities and regions in accelerating the energy transition to deliver on COP27 and the Paris Agreement goals
Speakers, moderators and winners of the Covenant Award City in the Spotlight will meet in Brussels at the Committee of the Regions premises.
Registrations should open this week, while onsite registrations are currently closed.
When – from 9:30 to 11:00
More information here.
What territorial cohesion after the pandemic? Rethinking regional and urban policies
The regional and local impact of the Covid-19 crisis is very heterogeneous, with a territorial dimension that has significant consequences for crisis management and policy responses.
The severity of the crisis has led almost all European local governments to implement solutions to limit the impacts of the pandemic. The crisis is challenging territorial cohesion across Europe and creating the need for new models of local development to prepare for future crises.
When – from 9:30 to 10:30
Register here.
The Green City Accord: driving the green transition through political will and integrated action
Sebastian Marx, Eurocities Green City Accord Coordinator will moderate this event that will offer exclusive insights from signatory cities about how municipalities can boost environmental activities as part of the European Commission initiative while meeting and advancing local priorities.
The interactive conversation, led by the city of Munich, will explore cities’ rationale for joining the accord and offer ample time for the audience to ask questions and interact.
When – from 12:30 to 13:30
Register here.
City Deals – The Netherlands’ approach to urban governance innovation
Eurocities and the European Urban Knowledge Network organise this session. City Deals is an urban governance concept that fosters innovation and experimentation in tackling severe problems.
Representatives of three City Deals will share their experiences and challenges and converse with attendants. What is the role of multilevel urban governance and cooperation between public, private and civil actors in addressing the digital challenges and the need for a healthier environment for everybody?
When – 14:30 to 16:00
Register here.
Achieving a green and just transition with citizen science: The case of air quality
Local governments prepare local Green Deals to achieve net-zero emissions and focus on the different co-benefits this transition could bring. These include health gains and climate justice for people disproportionately suffering from issues like air pollution.
At this interactive workshop, along with the European projects COMPAIR and SOCIOBEE, Eurocities Project Coordinator of CitiMeasure Mohammad Gharesifard will explain how citizen science initiatives on air quality can shape policies and behaviours to achieve healthier air for all.
In particular, Gharesifard will present the tool CitiAIR, developed by the CitiMeasure team as an inventory of citizen science projects on air quality.
When – 16:30 to 18:00
Register here.
Achieving the EU Green Deal through responsible public procurement and innovation
The chair of the Eurocities Working Group on Public Procurement, the city of Haarlem, organises this session.
This workshop will present how cities and regions across Europe could exploit the opportunities offered by the European Innovation Council, mainly through innovation procurement, and it will present concrete examples of how the challenges faced by regional stakeholders could attract the interest of top-notch European innovators.
When – 16:30 – 18:00
Register here.
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Putting people first: How cities are making electric vehicle charging user-centric
Thomas Lymes, Eurocities Project Coordinator on Urban Mobility will discuss innovative, user-centric electric vehicle charging solutions with top representatives from this industry and some of the most innovative cities in the field of e-mobility in Europe.
Additionally, Eurocities Project Coordinator of USER-CHI Marion Pignel will present this session on behalf of some of the participant cities: Barcelona, Murcia, Turku and Budapest.
When – from 11:30 to 13:00
Register here.
Ecolabels in green public procurement – enabling the green transition
How can labels, particularly the EU Ecolabel, make it easier for public buyers to have a sustainable impact?
Anja de Cunto, Eurocities Project Coordinator and Policy Advisor will moderate this event.
When – from 9:30 to 11:00
Learn further and register here.
Side events
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Digital sovereignty for local authorities
The city of Lyon organises this session, where local authorities will discuss and present their digital sovereignty strategies.
The workshop will address the issues of data protection and the European cloud; transparency (public authorities must ensure that citizens’ data is not misappropriated); dematerialisation of services; and geostrategic independence, where public authorities have control over these digital services.
When – from 09:30 to 11:00
Register here.
Friday, 14 October 2022
How local government is key to Europe’s digital transition: Focus on user-centric regions and cities
The Lisbon Council, Eurocities and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland organise this session.
This event builds on UserCentriCities, a 23-partner network of cities and regions under the European Commission’s patronage that binds local authorities together to share knowledge, measure their performance and exchange tools in user-centric service design.
Partners include Eurocities, Barcelona, the Brussels Capital Region, the Catalonia Region, the Emilia Romagna Region, Espoo, Ghent, Glasgow, Gothenburg, Helsinki, the Kronoberg Region, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Madrid, Milan, Murcia, Paris, Porto, Rotterdam and Tallinn.
When – from 11:00 to 12:00
Register here.
