The supranational nature of the EU’s urban policy makes it a unique framework that provides a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding how to act in the urban realm to foster social and territorial cohesion. Given the growing recognition of cities as crucial actors to make the ecological and green transition envisaged by the EU’s […]
Events
Intro for events
UNIMUNICIPIOS: Connecting research and local communities for sustainable development
On September 1, 2025, at CEiiA | Engineering and Product Development Centre, the host institution of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Portugal network (SDSN Portugal), the network signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three Portuguese municipalities — Matosinhos, Braga, and Guimarães — as well as two higher education institutions, the University of Minho […]
‘From vision to action: Empowering rural areas for the future’ – Highlights from the Rural Pact Conference
The Rural Pact Conference “From vision to action: Empowering rural areas for the future”, organised at the Château du Biez near Kortrijk (Belgium) on 16 and 17 September 2025, brought together 250 rural stakeholders from all over the EU and beyond, to exchange, network and discuss how to move forward with the Rural Vision till 2040 and […]
Rural Women Innovators (RUWI) Award
Applications are open until 31 October 2025 for the Rural Women Innovators (RUWI) Award. This new award, part of the GRASS CEILING project, celebrates and empowers women who are driving socio-ecological innovation in rural areas. It aims to increase the number of women-led innovations in farming, rural economies, and communities, fostering sustainability, inclusion, and well-being. The winner […]
Policy Action Lab – Rural areas and communities in the post-2027 EU budget and policies
This Policy Action Lab, Rural areas and communities in the post-2027 EU budget and policies, is organised by the Rural Pact Support Office and will take place on 5 November 2025 in Brussels (Pullman Brussels Centre Midi). It will offer an opportunity to discuss with the Rural Pact Community the recent European Commission proposals for […]
The relaunch of LDnet
We have now completed a very successful series of five LDnet webinars with more than 300 participants. We have also recently completed the setting up in Estonia of a new non-profit association, called ‘European Local Development Network Association MTÜ’, that will take over the operational support and guidance of the LDnet network from the ‘LEDA-Partenariat Association’, in […]
LDnet Webinar (28.5.2025) – “A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development? (part 2)” – Presentations and Recording
This webinar took place successfully with 50 active participants on 28 May 2025. The full recording of the webinar is available HERE. The presentations of the speakers are available below. A summary of the event will be published shortly. For the background to this webinar and its agenda read on … On 19 February 2025 […]
LDnet Webinar (23.4.2025) – “EU Climate neutral cities by 2050, a serious challenge for European cities – Summary, presentations, recording
This event took place online on 23 April 2025 as part of the 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It was led by Maria João Filgueiras Rauch and was attended by some 40 participants. The summary of the proceedings is available below together with links to the presentations and the recording of the event. EU Climate neutral […]
LDnet Webinar (26.3.2025) – Empowering Local Communities for Smart and Sustainable Cultural Heritage – Summary, presentations, recording
This event took place online on 26 March 2025 as part of the 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It was led by Rosalba La Grotteria and Giuseppe Pace and was attended by some 50 participants. The summary of the proceedings is available below together with links to the presentations and the recording of the event. […]
LDnet Webinar (19.2.2025) – “A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 – what place for local development?” – Summary, presentations, recording
This event took place online on 19 February 2025 as part of the 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It was attended by more than 120 people. The summary of the proceedings is available below together with links to the presentations and the recording of the event. A new architecture of EU policies and funds post-2027 […]
LDnet Webinar (21.1.2025)- “Citizen participation: From Sherry Arnstein’s ladder to Co-everything” (21.1.2025) – Summary, presentations, recording
This was the first in a new 2025 series of LDnet webinars. It took place online on 21 January 2025 with three main speakers – Peter Ramsden, Marijana Sumpor, Giuseppe Pace – and 45 active participants. Like all LDnet webinars it was free and open to practitioners, researchers and policy administrators. Urszula Budzich-Tabor, LDnet and […]
LDnet webinars in 2025
LDnet is organising a series of events in the first half of 2025. They will offer an opportunity to practitioners, researchers and policy administrators to explore different aspects of participative approaches to local development (one of current priorities of LDnet – HERE) and the emerging challenges for CLLD arising from the reform of the EU […]