The URBACT is a European programme of exchange of knowledge and learning, promoting Sustainable Urban Development. Its partners are the 28 EU Member States, Switzerland and Norway.
It offers the opportunity for Cooperation and Networking between between cities for solving major urban issues, confirming the key role of cities in addressing the increasingly complicated social changes. URBACT helps cities shaping realistic, pioneering and viable solutions integrating the economic, social and environmental approach of urban development.
Its budget is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and amounts to €96,3 million euro for the period 2014-2020.
The URBACT activities aim at achieving thematic objective 11 of Cohesion Policy “Enhancing institutional capacity and efficient public administration” and the objects of programme are as follows:
1. To improve the capacity of cities to manage sustainable urban policies and practices in an integrated and participative way;
2. To improve the design of sustainable urban strategies and action plans in cities;
3. To improve the implementation of Integrated Plans for sustainable urban development;
4. To ensure that practitioners and decisionmakers at all levels (EU, national, regional and local) have increased access to URBACT thematic knowledge and share know-how on all aspects of sustainable urban development in order to improve urban policies.
Eligible Actions/Beneficiaries:
1. Actions to enhance managerial capacity of stakeholders involved in the implementation of actions aiming at the Sustainable Urban Development (information days at national level, large scale briefing events etc.)
These actions target all stakeholders concerned that come from cities of the 28 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, that participate in existing Networks of the URBACT programme.
2. Creation of networks to improve the design of sustainable urban strategies and action plans within the framework of the implementation of Sustainable Urban Development (knowledge sharing seminars, study visits), field research to acknowledge the actual situation, Urban Development Integrated Strategies/Action Plans, Encouraging of Local Stakeholders, Activities of Publicity and Dissemination of Results, Activities to enhance the relations between Urban Regions and Rural Communities etc.)
These actions will target the cities of the 28 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, that are interested in developing and implementing sustainable urban strategies and action plans with the assistance of experts and exchange of knowledge.
3. Networking for the implementation of strategies and actions within the framework of the implementation of Sustainable Urban Development through:
a) Implementation Networks (knowledge sharing seminars, study visits, Monitoring Tools, Establishment and implementation of local partnerships, Activities of Publicity and Dissemination of Results, Purchase of consultancy services for enhancing the cities in the process of implementing Integrated Urban Development Interventions);
b) Knowledge Transfer Networks (knowledge sharing seminars, Establishment and implementation of local partnerships, Activities of Publicity and Dissemination of Results, Purchase of consultancy services for enhancing the cities in the process of monitoring and evaluating the transfer of good practices in every European city).
These actions target mainly the cities of the 28 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, that implement sustainable urban development integrated strategies and action plans through various financing means such as the European Regional Development Plan. Moreover, they target several other stakeholders, such as government and semi-government organisations established by the local authorities to design and implement various policies such as the provision of services (e.g. energy, economic growth, health services, transports etc.), as well as regional, local and national authorities, universities and research centres dealing with urban issues.
4. Activities of Publicity and Dissemination of Knowledge about Sustainable Urban Development (purchase of consultancy services for the collection and management of knowledge about Sustainable Urban Development issues, creation of a website – platform of knowledge for easy access to relevant information, publications, seminars, thematic activities, workshops, URBACT National Points etc.)
These actions target all stakeholders involved in the shaping and implementation of urban policies in cities of the 28 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland at all levels (European, National, Regional and Local) (e.g. Ministries, Authorities etc.).