The following is a collection of tools for taking action towards place-based transformations. This selection is an updated version of the tools included in the PRI Playbook (Pontikakis et al., 2022). They are categori...
Four years ago, as announced in the inaugural speech of President Von der Leyen before the European Parliament on 27 November 2019, the European Commission positioned sustainable development together with the digital ...
Addressing complex challenges requires different tools, mindsets and approaches from those traditionally used, which contributed to create some of these challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, raising in...
This study applies a rural-urban lens to the outcomes of recent national and subnational elections of European Union (EU) Member States, with the aim of analysing Eurosceptic (anti-EU values) voting patterns and ident...
Recent global developments, including the Russian invasion in Ukraine and its weaponisation of the energy sector have called for a radical acceleration of the European clean and just energy transition: cutting our dep...
Local and regional authorities are paving the way to a carbon-neutral future in Europe. It is on the local level where projects, citizens initiatives and policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation are imple...
The European Union is currently preparing two new border management initiatives that will affect travel to most European countries: - the Entry/Exit System (EES) - European Travel Information and Authorisation System ...
Sustainable cultural tourism puts cultural heritage and local communities at the centre of the decision-making process. This will drive good conservation practices and provide an authentic experience for visitors whil...
Strategic foresight is a future-oriented discipline that seeks to understand, anticipate, and address emerging challenges and opportunities, through systematic and structured identification and analysis of long-term t...
The study on funding for EU rural areas examines the contribution of the CAP 2014-2022 in addressing the needs and actions outlined under the Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas (LTVRA).
The project’s mission was to strengthen the governance of the EU's tourism ecosystem, making it more resilient and better prepared for resisting, managing and mitigating crises.
Local authorities are key players in addressing climate change. Since 2008, the European Commission endorses and supports their efforts through the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (CoM) and notably through t...
Discover how the Montenegro NTO, by participating in the ECâs Crisis Management and Governance in Tourism project, evolved, and demonstrated that improving crisis management capabilities can prepare destinations ...
The beneficiaries of the support provided by the European Commission’s (EC) Crisis Management and Governance in Tourism project identified a set of crises that have threatened the tourism ecosystem.
In the context of the European Commission’s (EC) Crisis Management and Governance in Tourism, several beneficiaries were guided to develop a situational assessment of their tourism ecosystems at local, regional, or ...
The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) opens a Call for Cities and Regions that would like to receive tailored support and mentorship in their transition towards circularity.
To fully understand why the European Union is defined by its motto United in diversity, one must look at its regions and cities. This complex network of communities, old and new, full of collective and personal storie...
SUPER-i, a project dedicated to driving sustainable practices in social housing, publishes four comprehensive factsheets (technical policy, financial, and environmental ) that are designed to support stakeholders in d...
A Community of Cities has been launched as part of the EU-funded Eyes, Hearts, Hands Urban Revolution project. This innovative network unites cities across Europe to integrate the values of the New European Bauhaus ...
The redevelopment process of the Santiago Square in Cáceres was chosen as one of 30 exemplary practices embodying high-quality architectural principles in Europe, thanks to its participative decision making process. ...
The Living Spaces peer-learning visit in Brussels focused on the role, instruments and impact of the Bouwmeester Maître Architecte (BMA) (Government Architect or Chief Architect) of Brussels. Operating within the Bru...
The purpose of ecosystem service accounting is to quantify the main contributions of ecosystems to society and the economy and to report them in accounting tables that are compatible with the structures and practices ...
The annual Access City Award recognises European cities for their outstanding efforts to make themselves more accessible for persons with disabilities and older citizens to make life easier for everyone. This brochure...
TExTOUR is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020, from January 2021 to September 2024. It sees the participation of 18 partners, coordinated by Fundación Santa María la Real, from 13 countries, cov...
This policy briefing outlines the key elements, or ingredients, needed to mobilise stakeholders around the Rural Pact and foster concerted action towards meeting the objectives of the long-term vision for the EU’s r...
“Science meets Regions” (SMR) originated in 2016, in the wake of a series of high level “Science meets Parliament” events organised by the JRC. It was soon realised that a thriving science for policy ecosystem...
In 2023 the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) turned 15 years since its launch. Initially started to support EU local authorities in reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is today the world’s largest urban climat...
TExTOUR is an EU-funded project that aims to co-design pioneering and sustainable strategies for cultural tourism, intending to improve disadvantaged areas in Europe and beyond. Through the experience gained in its ei...
The CCRI Knowledge Hub, supporting the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, had held its first two workshops. These events mark the start of capacity-building activities aimed at equipping E...
TExTOUR has developed an innovative ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) platform that serves as a guide and monitoring tool for the implementation of cultural tourism strategies. The platform helps pilots...
TExTOUR has developed an innovative ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) platform that serves as a guide and monitoring tool for the implementation of cultural tourism strategies. The platform helps pilots...
Wielkopolska, or the Greater Poland Voivodeship, is the second largest voivodeship in Poland in terms of area (29,826 km2) and third in terms of population (close to 3.5 million inhabitants in 2023). Its capital city ...
This report provides background analysis undertaken to support an assessment of the potential and opportunities for green economic diversification and adaptation in Heves County, and associated employment creation and...
This paper has been developed as part of the support provided to the Regional Economic Development Agency of Stara Zagora through the EU Coal Regions in Transition Initiatives technical assistance facility START. It i...
TExTOUR is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme with the mission to co-design innovative and sustainable cultural tourism strategies to improve deprived and remote areas in Europe and beyond.
Silesia is located in south-western Poland, bordering with Slovakia and Czechia. With over 4.4 million inhabitants, the Silesian Voivodeship is the most populated and urbanised region in Poland; 76% of its population ...
The project “Strukturlotsen” (which translates to: ‘structural pilots’) aims to improve the capacities of district authorities to pursue regional development through expertise-sharing. The project brings four ...
Aiming to empower young people to proactively shape the future of their region, the Ida-Viru Youth Climate Assembly is a powerful example of how to give youth a voice in the transition process and integrate their reco...
TExTOUR is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme with the mission to co-design innovative and sustainable cultural tourism strategies to improve deprived and remote areas in Europe and beyond.
The Austrian federal legislature has implemented legislation covering the complete scope of the directives. In the area of employment (public and private), all the grounds are protected. Ethnic affiliation and disabil...
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Danish Parliament debated whether legislation on discrimination in the labour market due to race, religion and other grounds should be enacted. The social partners, i.e. employers’ organi...
Due to several factors, which include the low level of legal awareness in Polish society; people’s passivity (and sometimes fear) around seeking to uphold their rights; and a lack of systematic research, it is impos...
There have been significant social and political changes in Spain over the past 45 years. Major transformations have taken place in the country’s social structure, creating a much more diverse society in ethnic and ...
Zasavje is Slovenia’s smallest statistical region by surface area, covering only 485 square kilometers. It has the second smallest population of Slovenia’s regions, with 57,204 residents as of early 20211 . With a...
The Principality of Asturias is a region located in the north-west of Spain, which constitutes one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities. With a total population 1,006,060 inhabitants, the region represents 2.1% of t...
Let's continue our tour behind the scene of TExTOUR project meeting Jelena Jelena Pujic, archaeologist and curator at the Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Trebinje.
This profile, prepared in the course of START technical assistance, outlines regional characteristics. Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the twenty regions of Italy, with a populati...
This profile, prepared in the course of START (Secretariat Technical Assistance to Regions in Transition) technical assistance, outlines regional characteristics. The Midlands region consists of four counties, Laois, ...
This profile, prepared in the course of START (Secretariat Technical Assistance to Regions in Transition) technical assistance, outlines regional characteristics. The region of Stara Zagora, located in south central B...
Meeting Igor Kuvač, assistant professor at the University of Banja Luka and coordinator of the Center for Spatial Research ICPROSTOR, which is part of the TExTOUR project.
Directly involving the local population in co-creating sustainable tourism strategies offers substantial benefits by combining cultural heritage preservation with activities that address specific social needs. This ap...
Strategic foresight is a future-oriented discipline that seeks to understand, anticipate, and address emerging challenges and opportunities, through systematic and structured identification and analysis of long-term t...
Strategic foresight is a future-oriented discipline that seeks to understand, anticipate, and address emerging challenges and opportunities, through systematic and structured identification and analysis of long-term t...
This infopack provides comprehensive insights into the TExTOUR project’s initiatives in the Rivne region, focusing on the integration of internal refugees through cultural tourism. It outlines the project's goals, s...
Tourism can be a resource in many fields, offering economic and social opportunities. With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, it was necessary to adapt and find new ways to face the situation. The TExTOUR project, wh...
A methodology developed in the TExTOUR project. This infopack provides a guide on planning methodologies and the tools needed to effectively engage all stakeholders and implement a successful sustainable tourism strat...
In September 2024, the TExTOUR project will end. In these years, we learned, experimented, and created innovative solutions to find a sustainable path for cultural tourism development in remote areas in Europe and bey...
Bordering Russia, Narva is an Estonian city of some 50,000 inhabitants in the extreme northeast of the country. Lying halfway between Tallinn and Saint Petersburg, it historically relied on strong ties with Russia. Ye...
Direct involvement of the local community is fundamental for an adequate sustainable tourism strategy. The Textour project has developed a methodology for the effective engagement of all stakeholders, essential for im...
Places that have been part of history now come alive through a tour that allows us to rediscover their significance over time, continuing to give importance to these locations. They become incubators of their history,...
Through collaborative interviews, GINNGER is investigating communities’ needs and perspectives in six European cities to involve residents in neighbourhood regeneration actions. To raise awareness of the importance ...
Discover the STARDUST best practices book and many other contents, such as the interview with project' coordinator Florencio Manteca, in this final newsletter.
Florencio Manteca, our project coordinator, outlines the lessons learned in these six years and reflects on the legacy of STARDUST. He also places this in the light of what has been happening in Europe in recent years...
The project’s best practice book draws on six years of endeavours in six smart cities and sets out some of the best practices, pitfalls and lessons learned.
How to monetise environmental benefits? What’s the value of reducing traffic and emissions? Economic savings and traditional methods are not enough: to calculate the profitability of smart and sustainable cities, we...
The final conference of the STARDUST project has begun in Pamplona, Spain. It concludes six years of work in areas covering energy, mobility, ICT and citizen engagement.
As many cities now seek to go climate neutral in the coming years, what role do people – as residents, consumers, children and businesses – play in this drive to preserve the environment?
Engaging rather than imposing top-down solutions. Community empowerment and trust-building make European cities smarter: Insights and innovations from a grassroots approach to urban planning.
Join us on this webinar to discover how the Stardust Follower Cities are carrying out the energy efficiency interventions in public buildings in these two cities!
The 6-year project will share its insights on mobility, ICT, smart districts and energy at its final conference in Pamplona at the end of February. The Consortium partners will discuss the achievements in the Lighthou...
Smart Cities: what’s in it for the citizens? Technology should empower people, but sometimes it becomes an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Cities must address problems like the digital divide, use techn...
Join us for this webinar hosted by Eurac Research! You can discover how to perform a technical and economic assessment of urban waste-heat sources for use in district heating with a focus on the case study of Madonna ...
TExTOUR is an EU-funded project that co-designs pioneering and sustainable cultural tourism strategies to improve deprived areas in Europe and beyond. Through the experience of its eight pilot sites, the project devel...