The SUP4SUD project 2nd newsletter focuses on the key lessons of the Barcelona partner meeting and study visit. The host of the April 2026 meeting is the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB) and the main question of the joint work was: how can sustainability goals be turned into real, tangible urban action?
One important lesson from the meeting is that the success of sustainable urban development depends not only on good strategies, but also on how well governance, cooperation and public participation function. Therefore, the Barcelona programme did not just deal with theoretical frameworks, but also presented practical examples of how the aspects of sustainability, inclusivity and urban quality of life can be integrated into everyday decision-making.
During the study visit, the participants visited the House of Architecture building, which is linked to Barcelona's role as the World Capital of Architecture for 2026. The location clearly demonstrated how architectural heritage, urban identity and sustainable urban transformation can be interconnected.
At the same time, the newsletter is about much more than the meeting in Barcelona. It presents the project's joint feasibility study, which provides an important starting point for the partners' cooperation. It reports on Oslo on social sustainability work, Tallinn about its participatory governance practice, as well as the Veszprém Gyárkert its example, which shows how a former industrial area can be transformed into a vibrant, human-centred community space.
In addition, the newsletter covers Chişinău 2040 for the conference, the Irishman THRIVE for a heritage preservation and recycling initiative, the Mannheim knowledge-sharing processes, as well as the Prague, Cracowian, Irish and Ialoveni as well as developments. Together, these clearly show that in the SUP4SUD project, sustainable urban development is not an abstract concept, but a combination of diverse local solutions, learning processes, and concrete urban interventions.
Read the 2nd newsletter here: SUP4SUD 2nd newsletter
Further info:
www.interregeurope.eu/sup4sud
SUP4SUD – Strategic Urban Planning for Sustainable Development. Co-funded by the European Union (Interreg Europe).