EUKN at Cities Forum 2023

The EUKN joined a range of sustainable urban development stakeholders in Turin for the Cities Forum 2023.

Kicking off the three days of urban interaction in Turin, the EUKN Secretariat joined other partners from the Greening Cities Partnership for the first in-person meeting. The collective energy, expertise and enthusiasm make a strong base for this Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership to create real impact in implementing green and blue infrastructures, as well as nature-based solutions to solve urban challenges.

Additionally, EUKN was in attendance for the launch of the Policy Atlas of Sustainable Urban Development for Small Urban Areas (SUAs) by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). A satisfying moment, not the least because the EUKN had provided significant research contribution to this study. Containing a range of empirical and policy insights, the publication sheds new light on the 14,000 SUAs in which 43% of the EU population reside.

Several site visits provided the opportunity to get hands-on inspiration from the urban successes of the City of Turin. These exciting enterprises included the Horizon2020 proGIreg project, whose urban gardens promote nature and social cohesion in a post-industrial area, and FUSILLI project, which demonstrates how involving a range of local actors can create an inclusive and sustainable city food system.

We thank the European Commission and Comune di Torino for facilitating an event that inspired new initiatives, strengthened partnerships and renewed collective commitment to making cities green and just!