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Author: indy

Meet the IURC LAC cities working on affordable housing

Across Europe and Latin America, cities are working together to advance more accessible, affordable and sustainable housing solutions. Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, these cities collaborate within the Community of Practice on Affordable Housing to exchange knowledge, address shared challenges and explore solutions ranging from regulatory frameworks and land management to urban planning, housing renovation, neighbourhood...

From waste to resource: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Porto 

Porto, Portugal | 21–23 July 2026  The IURC programme held a Green and Just Transition Advanced Cooperation Mission in Porto as part of the Community of Practice on urban regeneration and social cohesion (CoP 2), hosted by LIPOR — the intermunicipal waste management service of Greater Porto. Representatives from Hunedoara (Romania), Valle del Cauca (Colombia) and Chihuahua (Mexico) joined the host team for three...

Strengthening SME Digital Readiness Across Regions: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Santiago 

Santiago, Chile | 21–25 July 2026  How can regions better understand the digital readiness of their SMEs—and turn that knowledge into targeted, measurable support?  That question guided the latest IURC Latin America and the Caribbean Advanced Cooperation Mission, hosted by the Santiago Metropolitan Region as part of the Digital Transformation Community of Practice (CoP 1). Representatives from Bucharest (Romania), Bacău...

Meet the IURC LAC regions working on blue economy skills

Across Europe and Latin America, regions are working together to advance more sustainable, resilient and innovative approaches to the blue economy. Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, these territories collaborate within the Community of Practice on Blue Economy to exchange knowledge, strengthen cooperation between public institutions, academia and industry, and explore solutions related to marine resource management,...

Regeneration, heritage and community: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Santo Domingo   

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 6–8 July 2026   The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Santo Domingo as part of the Community of Practice on urban regeneration and social cohesion, hosted by the National District City Council. The mission centred on one of the most historically significant urban cores in the Americas — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to explore how...

Where mobility meets the city: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Fortaleza  

Fortaleza, Brazil | 30 June – 2 July 2026  The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Fortaleza as part of the Community of Practice on sustainable mobility (CoP 4), bringing together representatives from Madrid (Spain) and Umeå (Sweden) to explore how Fortaleza is weaving mobility, public space, environmental protection and social inclusion into a coherent urban development strategy.  Over three days, participants...

Moving through Madrid: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Madrid 

Madrid, Spain | 23–25 June 2026  The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Madrid as part of the Community of Practice on sustainable mobility and urban transformation, bringing together representatives from Fortaleza (Brazil) and Umeå (Sweden) to explore how Madrid is rethinking its streets, corridors and transport infrastructure as part of a wider strategy for a more liveable, connected and green city.  Over...

Meet the IURC LAC cities working on night-time economy

Across Europe and Latin America, cities are working together to unlock the potential of the night-time economy as a driver of more vibrant, inclusive and resilient urban environments. Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, these cities collaborate within the Community of Practice on Night-time Economy to exchange knowledge, address shared challenges and explore innovative approaches to public...

When the border is a bridge: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in the Rio Minho territory

Rio Minho (Portugal — Spain) | 29 June – 2 July The IURC programme held its first Advanced Cooperation Mission of the Agri-food Community of Practice (CoP 6) in the Rio Minho territory — a cross-border region straddling the Galicia–North Portugal frontier. Representatives from South Tyrol (Italy), Mendoza (Argentina), Tacna (Peru) and Loreto (Peru) joined the host body, the AECT/EGTC...

Best Urban Practices from IURC LAC: Pla Viure in Barcelona

Barcelona faces a severe housing affordability crisis, with access to decent housing ranking as the top concern for 28.8% of residents. Decades of insufficient public housing investment left the city with one of the lowest social housing stocks among comparable European capitals, with historically only 20% of new developments allocated to affordable use. Pla Viure is Barcelona’s city council housing...