How can cities support the need to strengthen a European urban development?

The umbrella words for the Cities Forum 2020 are sustainability and cohesion. So, how can cities support the need to strengthen a European urban development? 

More than half of the world's population has moved to cities and the challenges that arise must be taken into hand. Also, the role of cities within the larger role of the European Union is debated today and tomorrow in Porto Customs. This forum is organised by the European Union and by Porto City Hall.

Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira started by making the official greetings, this afternoon, at Porto Customs, during the forum's opening ceremony, adding that "we are very proud to host this event in our city"; the newly appointed European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, who is chairing the event, invited everyone to "share opinions" on the sustainable urban development.

Officials from the European Union, from Germany, Croatia, Finland, Spain, Holland, Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary, France and Portugal attend the event at the Invicta.

"Sustainability, a key-word today, is a part of a virtual triangle that needs to work in order to move forward the issue of urban development: the environment, the economic sustainability and social sustainability", Rui Moreira explained.

"It can be done through access to technology, knowledge, universities, entrepreneurship but also demands courage from elected officials, as the necessary sacrifices are harsh and results are not so immediate."

"These are very trying times but also interesting times, and the role of cities being discussed in Porto is of the utmost importance", Mayor Rui Moreira concluded.

Elisa Ferreira thanked Rui Moreira for this warm welcoming, stating that "It is raining outside, but the sun shines inside".

"European Union is built upon the principle of subsidiarity which determines the action that has got to take place where it is more efficient. And this level is often the local level, in cities and in urban spaces", the European Commissioner added.

"I want to underline my deep engagement as a European Commissioner to provide a voice to local sectors and to local stakeholders, because cities are crucial to the future of Europe, they are the hubs of prosperity and innovation, as well as the centres of culture and knowledge. Metropolitan regions alone concentrate 60% of the EU population, 64% of the employment, and 70% of our GDP. And this proportions increase overtime", Elisa Ferreira explained.

"Cities have crucial responsibilities, they are the service centres for the surrounding areas, providing jobs, healthcare, education, and serving and transport hubs. A crucial role that often generates inequalities, which can occur inside the cities, those are the so-called pockets of poverty and deprivation. Cities are crucial for the climate and energy agenda, pollution is already felt in many cities".

"Cities represent the greatest opportunities but also the greatest challenges: prosperity and poverty, innovation and the left behind, clean urban transport but also pollution; these make cities a micro cosmos, and you are on the frontline, to facing the challenges and providing the solutions, City can inspire changes at national and European level, cohesion policies is within cities, implemented and managed by local authorities, for sustainable urban development", the commissioner enhanced to the audience.

Also, Elisa Ferreira announced that "in the current periods, 170 billion euros of cohesion policy are being spent specifically and directly in cities. Of these 17 billion euros are implemented locally through integrated urban development strategies and are managed directly by urban authorities. And in the future this will increase. The Commission has propose to increase the proportion of Cohesion Policy earmarked for sustainable Urban Development from 5% minimum to 6% of the European Regional Development Fund Envelope for the period 2021 onwards".

Eurocities is a network of large cities in Europe, established in 1986 to advance economic, political and social development in its member cities. Currently, Eurocities includes local governments of over 140 of Europe's major cities from 39 countries.

See the full programme here.