As we head full throttle into the European elections season, this second edition of the Eurocities Monitor presents many of the most interesting data and insights gathered throughout the year by Eurocities mainly Brussels based staff, and via input from our network of more than 6,000 city officials from all over Europe. The Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey, which constitutes a major element of this publication, aims to ‘take the pulse’ of mayors and cities at a crucial moment for our continent. The survey is based on research conducted among mayors from the 204 member cities of the Eurocities network. Between December 2023 and February 2024 mayors were invited to reply to an online survey.
Mayors are increasingly at the centre of politics at all levels of government. It is only with mayors on board, ensuring a proper implementation of policy in our cities, that the twin digital and green transformations can be enacted without leaving anyone behind, and broader societal and international goals achieved.
In their top priorities for 2024 more than half of mayors selected climate action for the second year running; more than double any other category. In their reflections, mayors highlight the co-benefits of the climate transition to other sectors, and the central role of cities in leading the way in actions as diverse as building renovations and reaching out to citizens.
Despite this, one major reflection shared by mayors is the lack of financial resources and local-level capacity to actually deliver on their climate ambitions and commitments.
The provision of fair and affordable housing, as well as more priority given to promoting social inclusion, are two areas that have noticeably gained priority for mayors this year. While house building may have fallen off the agenda in recent years, rental and housing costs are now a key voter concern as we head into different elections this year, and it could be a strong factor in determining outcomes. Although housing is not an EU competence, it’s clear that from a city point of view tackling EU-level barriers for making affordable housing accessible locally should be a priority.
Whether the more recent or long-standing trends, priorities and challenges discussed in these pages, all of them are covered by working groups and projects within Eurocities, the network of major European cities.
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