Participation in Policy Event en Ghent!
In late May, we were in Ghent in Belgium to attend the event "Rethinking Local Policies: Empowering European Cities for Sustainable Development" organised by Interreg Europe Joint Secretariat.
The event brought together over 180 urban practitioners, decision-makers, and policy experts from across Europe for two insightful days of discussions, learning from each other and exchanging valuable experiences.
On Day 1: the Mayor of Ghent opened the event and discussion focused on the purpose of the Interreg Europe programme and how it supports the goal of propelling Europe forward by enhancing regional development policies. We were then divided into our thematic sessions related to the programme's topics: connectivity, green initiatives, energy efficiency, governance, social development, citizen engagement, and smart solutions. Throughout these sessions, a common thread emerged with essential requirements such as innovation and capacity building, diligent monitoring, and effective communication through incentives and feedback. Day 1 continued with a study visit focused on enabling sustainable and resilient urban environments in Ghent: participants explored the transformation of derelict and post-industrial urban areas into inclusive, green spaces and learned about the implementation of sustainable technologies at the district level.
Day 2 featured a World Café and Matchmaking Sessions. We dived into a series of workshops covering various topics such as shared mobility, district heating, renewable energy communities, and more, before engaging in lively discussions at the World Café, where they participants shared challenges faced in their cities and proposed policy solutions. The discussions brought to light several essential ingredients for successful local and regional development projects: educating young people on the topic, launching communication campaigns to raise awareness at local and national levels, fostering crowdfunding initiatives, and encouraging local engagement in the projects.
These insights will be very useful for the implementation of Down to Earth!