European Commission
Promotes cooperation to address urban challenges and improve quality of life in cities.
The Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) is a multi-level working method and institutional innovation that promotes cooperation between Member States, cities, the European Commission, and stakeholders. It focuses on better regulation, funding, and knowledge to address urban challenges and improve the quality of life in cities. The UAEU aligns with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the New Urban Agenda, and the New Leipzig Charter. It serves as a delivery mechanism for the urban dimension of the SDGs in the EU.
The Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) is a multi-level working method and institutional innovation that promotes cooperation between Member States, cities, the European Commission and other stakeholders to address urban challenges and improve the quality of life in cities[1][2][3][4][7]. It was established by the Pact of Amsterdam in 2016[4].
The UAEU focuses on three pillars of EU policy making and implementation[2][4]:
- Better regulation
- Better funding
- Better knowledge
It is implemented through thematic Partnerships involving various stakeholders who work together to develop and implement concrete actions[2][4]. 14 priority themes have been defined so far, including housing, urban poverty, climate adaptation, and urban mobility[4]. Each Partnership works for an initial period of 3 years[7].
The UAEU aims to[3][4][7]:
- Realise the full potential of urban areas in achieving EU and national objectives
- Improve the urban dimension of EU policies and legislation
- Enhance cooperation between different levels of governance
- Contribute to major EU initiatives like the European Green Deal and digital transition
It is closely aligned with and contributes to the implementation of:
- The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially SDG 11 on sustainable cities[4][7]
- The global New Urban Agenda adopted at the Habitat III conference[4][5][8]
- The New Leipzig Charter providing an EU policy framework for sustainable urban development[4]
The UAEU is seen as a key delivery mechanism for the urban dimension of the SDGs and New Urban Agenda in the EU[7][8]. In 2021, a renewal process was initiated to make the UAEU more impactful, with new priority themes added[4][6]. The European Urban Initiative will provide support in 2021-2027[4].
Citations: [1] https://www.investingenova.com/en/urban-agenda-eu [2] https://www.urbanagenda.urban-initiative.eu [3] https://www.urbanagenda.urban-initiative.eu/urban-agenda-eu [4] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/themes/urban-development/agenda_en [5] https://www.iut.nu/eu/eu-urban-agenda/ [6] https://www.urbanagendaplatform.org/european_union [7] https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/urban-agenda-eu [8] https://www.urbanagendaplatform.org/resources/review-contributions-urban-agenda-eu-new-urban-agenda