Category: News from IURC

The end of the beginning – leaders gather for IURC final event

“World peace,” “progress,” “unity” and “working together.” These may seem like lofty notions, even naïve ambitions these days. However, at the final event of the European Commission’s International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme, these audience sentiments about the meaning of the three-years of international exchange seemed of a piece with the more pragmatic “learning,” “collaboration,” and “partnerships”  that the...

IURC at the European Week of Regions and Cities

The evolving landscape of city and regional projects increasingly underscores the value of international cooperation. As the industrial era shifts, cities and regions confront novel challenges requiring innovative solutions. In recognising this, the IURC programme, during its session at the 21st EU Regions Week in Brussels, emphasised the immense transformative potential of international partnerships. This article delves into the key...

Watch IURC’s LA Webinar #18 “Urban Co-Creation and Social Justice (Medellín – Lecco): Coinvite – Storytelling for Urban Learning.”

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Latin America programme recently concluded an insightful webinar titled "Urban Co-Creation and Social Justice (Medellín – Lecco): Coinvite – Storytelling for Urban Learning." The event brought together experts, academics, and practitioners from urban planning, social urbanism, and social justice fields to explore the power of storytelling in urban development, community engagement, and social...

Circular Economy and Biomining: Forging the Way

25 September 2023 As part of the IURC thematic network ‘Ecological Transition & Green Deal’, on 25th September 2023, IURC AA (India) delivered the thematic event Legacy Waste Biomining: Challenges & Solutions. The aim was to share best practices on how to manage legacy waste. Officials from Panaji, Leh, Jamshedpur, Patna, Porbandar, Gangtok, Kochi, Chennai, Trier, Messina and the Greek Cities...

Turku City, Finland, and Nagano City and Obuse Town, Japan hold an exchange and collaboration workshop

14 September 2023 Since the first phase of IURC (2019), Turku City, Finland, and Nagano City and Obuse Town in Japan, cooperated for “Integration of urban-rural circular economy in water-food-energy nexus.” Turku and Nagano shared a common interest in climate change action and renewable energies, in particular biomass.  Obuse, a small town surrounded by countryside, is interested in sustainable tourism and urban development harmonious with...

Advanced Air Mobility in the EU and Japan Webinar by EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation

The EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation Program’s webinar on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) held on 28 September from 9:00-10:30 CET aimed to introduce the respective initiatives of European regions and Japanese prefectures for the development and diffusion of electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs). Mr. Jukka Savo, the Principal Administrator at the European Commission for Aviation Safety Drones, AI and...

A global Green Deal?

Could the European Green Deal set the standard for a global approach to climate change and international cooperation? The 19th meeting of the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change, and Energy (ENVE Group) of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) held on September 28-29, 2023, in Malaga, Spain, put this question to the fore with robust discussions and deliberation. Presided...

Gender equality perspective in urban planning: Umeå (Sweden) and Punta Arenas (Chile)’s case study

In the framework of IURC Latin America, Umeå (Sweden) and Punta Arenas (Chile) are collaborating on Urban Renewal and Social Cohesion, involving efficient participatory processes with a special focus on integration a gender perspective into planning. The city of Umeå has a long tradition of integrating gender equality into its policies, strategies, plans and projects. In this framework, the city...

Watch IURC’s LA Webinar #17 “Bilbao’s Post-industrial Transformation: A Blueprint for Urban Rebirth”

  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJIF8APrsvk[/embed] The IURC Latin America programme held its webinar n.17 "Bilbao’s Post-industrial Transformation: A Blueprint for Urban Rebirth", on September 26th, 2023. The primary objective of this session was to delve into the urban regeneration and transformation process of Bilbao, highlighting key strategies, challenges, and successes. Through expert insights and discussions, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the Bilbao...

Albacete and Gangtok: Celebrating a Year of Partnership and Progress for a Greener Future

The partnership between Gangtok, India, and Albacete, Spain, has reached a significant milestone. The cities began their partnership in 2022 and have conducted two productive exchange visits, enabling them to share insights, best practices and ideas for creating more sustainable communities, with a focus on solid waste management awareness.  Based on the learnings of this partnership, a poster on waste...