The capacity building component of EUI seeks to improve and increase the capacities of cities in the design of sustainable urban development policies, strategies and practices in an integrated and participative way. It also contributes to the design and implementation of these policies and action plans on a local, regional and national level. This element encompasses the cooperation with URBACT IV networks of cities, as well as peer learning activities and Urban Development Network-type capacity building.
Building on previous Urban Development Network activities, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) knowledge and TAEIX mechanism as well as UIA capitalisation work, these activities aim to:
- improve the capacities of cities to design and implement sustainable urban development strategies, policies and practices in an integrated and participative way
- improve the quality of the design and overall implementation of sustainable urban development strategies, policies and practices
The overall target group addressed by EUI capacity building activities is urban practitioners and policymakers from EU cities that are interested or involved in Cohesion Policy and Sustainable Urban Development under the Article 11 of the ERDF/CF Regulation and Cohesion Policy programmes.
There are three key activities: city-to-city exchanges, peer reviews and capacity building events.
You can access below the presentation of the capacity building activity done at Cities Forum in Turin on 17 March.
City-to-city exchanges
City-to-city exchanges are in-person visits or online exchanges carried out between an applicant city and a one or two peer cities. Peer cities share new working methods and innovative approaches on specific implementation challenges identified by the applicant city. The challenges relate to the design and implementation of sustainable urban development strategies.
Who can participate? Applications may be submitted by urban authorities of any size from EU Member States that are interested in the design and implementation of sustainable urban development strategies. Other stakeholders may participate in the exchange if justified by the urban authority.
Peer introduction request to support city-to-city exchange applicants
This form allows an urban authority to request to be put in contact with an urban authority from EUI-IA, UIA projects or Urban Agenda Partnership, in order to prepare a city-to-city exchange application.
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant contact person. Any subsequent follow-up or discussion is carried out bilaterally without EUI involvement, subject to the interest of the urban authority being contacted.
Peer reviews
Peer reviews take the form of workshops in which cities are peer reviewed by other cities and relevant stakeholders in order to benchmark their Sustainable Urban Development strategies. Cities under review benefit by improving their capacities to design and implement sustainable urban development strategies and practices in an integrated and participative way. Peer reviews may be country-specific or bring together cities from different EU Member States.
Who can participate? Applications may be submitted by urban authorities of any size from EU Member States that are involved in the design and implementation of a Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (in line with Article 11 of the ERDF Regulation).
Capacity building events
Capacity building events comprise of a wide range of formats: workshops, seminars, as well as a compilation of toolkits on good practices, enabling cities to improve their capacity to design and implement sustainable urban development strategies. As a follow-up of the Urban Development Network, EUI will create a community of cities, fostering exchanges on topics linked to sustainable urban development and an easier access to knowledge.
EUI will also organise events either country specific or in a cluster of Member States, tailored to respond to the specific needs and challenges of cities together with Urban Contact Points and propose various capacity-building material.
Capacity building events will cover various topics, from thematic to operational challenges of sustainable urban development. They will involve a larger number of participants.
EUI and URBACT will work together to ensure the coordination and complementarity of the capacity building offers.
Have a look at our current opportunities for capacity-building!
Looking for peer learning?
EUI has launched three calls for applications to our capacity building activities:
1. City-to-city exchanges: Call for applications, 4 April to 17 November (7.5 months)
2. Peer reviews
- Call for Cities under Review : 4 April to 29 May (closed)
- Call for Peers for peer review in Thessaloniki, 28-29 June (closed)
Looking for thematic capacity building?
EUI will organise two events in Summer 2023:
- 7-9 June: Delivering high-quality urban CLLD, Timisoara, Romania, Registration closed
- 4-5 July: Supporting an integrated approach to sustainable urban development, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Registration open
Support to applicants
Applicants webinars
Looking to know more about EUI capacity building activities? We are here to answer all your questions. Two applicants webinar were organised by EUI on 5 April and on 3 May. Recordings and presentations are available, on this page for 5 April and on this page for 3 May.
During both webinars, the EUI capacity building team presented the framework and methodology of city-to-city exchanges and peer reviews and answered questions from potential applicants in a Q&A session.
Missed the webinars? Please contact the EUI capacity building team with any queries via capacitybuilding@urban-initiative.eu.
Support to apply for a city-to-city exchange
Interested in applying for a city-to-city exchange but have some questions? Check our guidance for applicants and get support on this page.
Looking for peers to apply for a city-to-city exchange? Check our form to request a peer introduction to a UIA city or an Urban Agenda Partnership city.
If you have a specific question on peer reviews, book a 15-minute online consultation with one of our capacity building officers. The EUI Permanent Secretariat offers a limited number of appointments for online consultations on a first come, first serve basis with a limit of one per application. Book here.
Support to apply for a peer review
Interested in participating in a peer review but have some questions? Check our guidances for applicants:
- Guidance for potential cities under review and get support on this page.
- Guidance for potential peers in EUI first peer review on 28-29 June in Thessaloniki and get support on this page.
If you have a specific question on peer reviews, book a 15-minute online consultation with one of our capacity building officers. The EUI Permanent Secretariat offers a limited number of appointments for online consultations on a first come, first serve basis with a limit of one per application. Book here.