The 22nd edition of the EU Week of Regions and Cities will take place between 7 and 10 October in Brussels. 

At this annual event, cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance. 

The event organisers are the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Committee of the Regions. The European Research Council will bring pioneering science to the programme by organising two “EU Regions talks” under the theme “Smart and sustainable growth for regions” on 9 October as part of this year’s edition.
 

ERC sessions at the EU Week of Regions and Cities 2024: 
 

Ensuring that green transitions benefit all Europeans

Wed 09/10/2024, 16.30 - 16.45 CET 

Urban greening projects can transform neighbourhoods. The groundbreaking EU-funded project 'Greenlulus' highlights the threat of social exclusion posed by green gentrification. Researchers have also put forward policy tools to ensure that every European is part of their city’s green transformation. 

Speaker: 

• Francesc Baró, Assistant Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Greener urban travel environments for everyone 

Wed 09/10/2024, 17.30 - 17.45 CET 

Green spaces are an integral part of healthy and livable urban environments. Their availability is a question of environmental justice and equity. While the benefits of urban green spaces are well documented, little is known about greenery in everyday urban travel environments. Funded by the European Research Council, the 'Green Travel' project is researching the well-being impacts of green urban travel environments. The project provides approaches on where to add greenery to advance equity. 

Speaker: 

• Tuuli Toivonen, Professor of Geoinformatics at the University of Helsinki