On October 23rd, a cohort of 28 cities and regions gathered in Brussels, Belgium, to present the activities undertaken during their participation in IURC, lessons learned, and plans for the future of their cooperation. This event allowed representatives to share their experiences and make new connections. The afternoon started with a welcome message from Ronnie Hall, Senior Adviser for DG REGIO. He talked about the EU priorities regarding sustainable urban development, the importance of international cooperation, and the results achieved during this second phase of the programme. The welcome was followed by a fire chat between participants and presentations from city-to-city and region-to-region pairings. Some of the main lessons learned include:
- International cooperation is very relevant.
- Sharing knowledge is key.
- Cities from different geographical areas have more similarities than they expected.
- There are possibilities for extending the cooperation.
- The program adds legitimacy to their work and serves as “development inspiration.”
- When participating in IURC, it’s helpful to hone in on a specific topic rather than starting broad. It’s not about copying and pasting good practices but adapting or being inspired by them.
- There is a need for continuous capacity building of public servants.
- Pilot projects serve to scale up.
- Community participation is key to ensuring sustainability.
- Involving politicians is fundamental.
- Regions and cities can discover their potential and unique features in the eyes of their partners.
