News for Cities

Since 2018, Mayor of Treviso, Mario Conte has been guiding the city through a long-term ecological transition aimed at improving quality of life, protecting the environment and strengthening climate resilience.

Practical measures such as access to e-bike trials, rewards for cycling and volunteer-led Bicibus schemes for schoolchildren can help municipalities make cycling a more attractive transport option.

Building on the success of our pilot in 2023-2024, which attracted over 190 applications from 24 countries, Driving Urban Transitions is launching a second edition of the Urban Doers Communiuty to continue strengthening the voices and expertise of local innovators across Europe.

Hamburg uses a public digital tree registry to strengthen climate adaptation and urban resilience. By mapping and monitoring over 230,000 street trees, the city supports targeted maintenance, protects mature trees, and guides future-proof planting.

The European Commission has launched a call for tenders to establish a peer-learning scheme for decision-makers at local and regional level, focusing on high-quality architecture and the built environment.

Latest case study from the EU Covenant of Mayors.
Cork, in collaboration with its Chamber of Commerce, signed twelve Local Green Deals (LGDs) with a variety of
stakeholder groups, including seven among large and small businesses

In Croatia, the Covenant of Mayors is at the heart of this
collaborative effort, providing a space for local authorities to align their climate actions with national level
obligations to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 at the latest

Wallonia coordinates 196 Belgian municipalities, enhancing their commitment to the Covenant of Mayor initiative by supporting the development and implementation of their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).

The report explores the income and housing situation of different generations in the EU, assessing the implications for intergenerational fairness and their connection to demographic change.

Housing demand varies considerably between Member States and regions, reflecting diverse demographic and market conditions. In one third of all NUTS 3 regions, construction did not manage to keep up with expanding demographic trends.

The Mayor of Heidelberg, Germany, and member of the EU Covenant of Mayors Board, Eckart Würzner, shares
his perspective on sustainable urban leadership and the role of cities in delivering EU climate objectives.

Located in the northwest of Germany, the city of Dortmund has not yet suffered from extreme heatwaves, but
trends are clear: the temperature in and around Dortmund between 2000 and 2018 was 1°C above the 20th-century average.

Owning a home has gradually become more difficult since Europe’s financial crisis of the 2010’s, further deteriorating after the pandemic.

From citizen energy and new EU policy momentum to flagship events, fresh leadership and practical
support for cities: discover what 2026 has in store for the EU Covenant of Mayors and how you can be part of it.

The call will deliver a peer-learning scheme supporting decision-makers in architecture, the built environment, culture and heritage, spatial planning, and sustainable development.

This is a peer-learning initiative to promote “Baukultur” - translated as “building culture” and the dissemination

The fourth Call for Proposals under the European Urban Initiative – Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) will launch in February 2026, with an indicative ERDF budget of EUR 60 million.

The upcoming 7th edition of the Cities Forum in 2027 is looking for a dynamic host city. This is a unique opportunity for cities to contribute to key discussions on the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy and to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable urban development. 

It is widely assumed that cities are the engines driving national and regional growth. This column analyses productivity dynamics across metropolitan regions in Europe over the past 20 years.

2025 stood out as a year marked by strong political momentum, deeper cooperation and a growing recognition of the essential role cities play in driving the energy and climate transition