This 2021 project aims to bring together progressive and transformative trans-local city networks, to connect them and facilitate their exchanges, ultimately contributing to a positive narrative for the future of Europe.
Project Background
Despite increasing divisions and the rise of right-wing forces on the European and national scenes, many European cities are pursuing a progressive, positive and transnationally networked vision.
Building upon the expertise gained in the implementation of previous transnational projects on Urban Commons, the ‘Cities as Places of Hope’ project was launched in 2019 and focusses on these progressive city networks that are a key factor in the development for a positive narrative on the future of Europe. Bringing together political, civil, and economic actors, the partner foundations discuss how these networks can gain more power at the European level, particularly to develop a positive narrative for the future of Europe. The project is also providing a connected space to support engaged citizens in developing urban commons and democratic innovation.
Project Objectives and Activities
The 2020 edition of the project focused on a few countries and showed there is great potential, with greens getting stronger and stronger at the city level. They even boast a presence in countries in East- and South-Europe where they underperform at national level, giving an important opportunity to build up. In order to further explore and exchange on transformative local practices and their potential to reinforce the green family, project partners will conduct research into inspiring transformative policies in cities where greens are present, will document these successes and organise events across Europe ‘In Search of the Green City.’
In 2021 we aimed to build on the last two years of the project which focused on progressive city networks and their transformative power in developing a positive narrative of the future of Europe and supporting engaged citizens in developing urban commons and democratic innovation.
Our partners are meeting in selected green cities to organise seminars with local green actors based on the question: Do green cities have universal policies or core values? In autumn the project will continue with an inspiring public event in each country with a title ‘Talking about a Green City’ bringing together the broader green family of activists, members Green parties, civil society, new urban actors and the broader public.
Project Outputs
As part of Cities of Hope II, the project partners developed the following articles as inspiring examples of transformative city initiatives:
- Green water management in El Prat (Spain) – A success story
- Cities as Places of Hope: Skopje
- Cities as places of hope: Ghent
- Cities as places of hope: Ghent (CZ)
- Governance strategies for cooling cities: the cases of Athens and Istanbul
- VACCINE CITIES for their inhabitants
- Collection of inspiring transformative city initiatives (ES)
- Heat Waves in Turkey – Podcast series. ( Green Thought Association Campaign -Summer 2021)
Audiovisual Material (2021)
Deep-dive into different perspectives
