Delving into the trends and forces shaping the urban sphere

Welcome to the EUKN’s Urban Voices blog. Here, we explore key topics in urban development with insights from leading researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. Urban Voices exists to share as wide a range of issues, solutions, investigation and innovation in the urban sphere as possible — from the governmental to the individual level.

Will you be the next Urban Voice? To contribute an interview or article, get in touch with us at info@eukn.eu.

Urban Voices

Els Enhus on… Women Navigating the City

In the third episode of the Urban Voices podcast, Els Enhus, a criminology professor at VUB describes women's feelings of safety in public spaces and how they navigate the city.

Urban Voices

Federica Risi on… Localising the SDGs in cities

In the second audio edition of Urban Voices, the EUKN Policy and Project officer, Federica Risi, discusses the benefits and details of localising the sustainable development goals in urban areas.

urban voices
Urban Voices

Lucie Greyl and Tom Wild on… Cities for Climate-Neutrality

This month, we introduce a new format of Urban Voices: an audio podcast experience! Listen to Lucie Greyl and Tom Wild discussing how cities and urban policies can shape a climate-neutral future.

Small Urban Areas: opportunities and challenges: Kai Böhme
Urban Voices

Kai Böhme on… Small Urban Areas

Dr Kai Böhme, Partner and Director of Spatial Foresight, explains the tricky process of defining small and medium-sized cities as well as those areas' opportunities and challenges.

Urban Voices

Nicola Bellini on… Sustainable urban tourism

Prof. Nicola Bellini, expert in charge of the ex-ante assessment of the Sustainable Tourism thematic area under the Urban Agenda for the EU, talks about cities' role in sustainable tourism and more

Poland the 11th World Urban Forum
Urban Voices

Renata Calak on… Poland’s contribution to, and expectations of the 11th World Urban Forum

The Director of the Department of Strategy at the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy talks about co-organising WUF11 and what it means to Poland

The Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in EU Cities: Janne van Eerten
Urban Voices

Janne van Eerten on… the Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in EU Cities

Janne van Eerten, one the coordinators of the Urban Partnership on the Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees, describes the aim of the partnership and its application in the context of the war in Ukraine

The opportunities of shrinking cities on a road toward urban resilience: Martin Grisel
Urban Voices

Martin Grisel on… the opportunities of shrinking cities on a road toward urban resilience

The EUKN Director, Martin Grisel, describes cities' and policies' potential responses to the phenomenon of shrinking cities.

Urban Voices

Sabrina Abdi on…The urban programme of the French Council Presidency

Sabrina Abdi, from the French National Agency for the cohesion of Territories, presents the French Council Presidency programme on urban matters, including the role of the just dimension of cities.

a new nature-centred mindset: Nature-based Thinking
Urban Voices

Geovana Mercado on…setting a new nature-centred mindset: Nature-based Thinking

Geovana Mercado explains the potentialities of Nature-based Thinking (NBT), a new nature-centred mindset that the CONEXUS project, through its Life-Labs, is promoting.

Urban Voices

Martha Fajardo on…what we can learn from nature-based ancestral knowledge systems in Latin America

Martha Fajardo shares a Latin American take on preserving cultural and landscape diversity, stressing the need to adopt a less utilitarian outlook on nature, pursuing a planetary health perspective.

homelessness in European
Urban Voices

Sjoerdje van Heerden on…current trends of homelessness in European cities

The pandemic has put a spotlight on homelessness. The implementation of “stay at home” orders immediately made it clear that there are people who have no place to go to.