European and Chinese Cities Launch Smart and Circular Cities Community of Practice

On 23 December 2025, European and Chinese cities officially launched a new Community of Practice (CoP) on smart and circular urban development, marking a new phase of structured cooperation under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC) framework. The inaugural meeting brought together representatives from Madrid and Granada, alongside counterparts from Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Guangzhou, to discuss the structure, priorities, and next steps of the initiative.

The representative from Madrid, acting as CoP Coordinator, presented the overall project framework and indicative timeline. The presentation underlined the importance of clearly identifying shared thematic interests and complementary expertise among participating cities to enable effective knowledge exchange, study visits, and joint activities. A structured approach to the design of the Community of Practice was proposed, including the preparation of a consolidated concept document to be submitted to IURC in early 2026.

Participants identified several promising areas for cooperation, notably green and circular economy development, waste and water management, hydrogen-related solutions, and climate resilience. Broader urban challenges were also discussed, including walkability, cycling infrastructure, and energy storage. Despite differences in city size, governance structures, and development contexts, participants emphasized the strong value of comparative learning and peer-to-peer exchange.

The meeting highlighted the importance of early and well-coordinated planning, particularly in relation to international exchanges and study visits. Participants agreed on the need to establish efficient communication channels, including an email distribution group and complementary messaging tools, and committed to exchanging relevant background documents in the coming days.

The session concluded with agreement to reconvene in early January 2026 to finalize priority themes, further develop the Urban Cooperation Action Plan (UCAP), and begin planning concrete joint activities and study visits. This initial meeting laid the foundation for long-term, results-oriented cooperation between European and Chinese cities within the IURC framework.