Brisbane City Council welcomed a delegation from Barcelona, Melbourne, New Plymouth and Christchurch from 9-13 October 2023 on the occasion of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS). The event – which gathered more than 1,100 delegates from 171 cities, including 118 Mayors and Deputy Mayors – involved IURC delegates in several workshops within the thematic areas “Cities of Connection” (technology, data and people), “Cities of Sustainability” (adapting to growth, inclusivity and wellbeing) and “Cities of Legacy” (creating events for prosperity and longevity).
Back to back the APCS, the IURC project team held a regional workshop for the pilot cities to exchange views on the State of Art of the city pairings, the core pilot projects under implementation and the potential for cross-pairing capitalization. The workshop was opened by H.E. Gabriele Visentin, EU Ambassador to Australia, who emphasised the added value of urban diplomacy and cross-continental city partnerships. He encouraged pilot cities to tap into existing EU programmes like Horizon Europe to deepen the cooperation lines. The project team and peer experts provided some ideas for follow-up actions in the areas of smart city, circular economy and mobility.
The IURC team expressed its gratitude to the Brisbane City Council for hosting the delegates and involving them in the thematic workshops.
