How can urban-rural partnerships promote Europe's green transition?

Developing urban-rural partnerships is crucial to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Agenda 2030. As Europe looks to generate an equitable post-Covid19 recovery, developing an urban-rural continuum is expected to contribute to a more balanced development across the territories of the EU. In Europe, fifty percent of the rural population lives close to a city, often as part of a wider metropolitan area. Metropolitan areas as an institutional innovation are a reality and as such integral to and a key stakeholder in developing rural areas within and close to them. This event will be an opportunity to discuss how European cities are mobilising innovative governance and financial frameworks at metropolitan level to promote a more balanced territorial development. In particular, we will look at three concrete levers through which EU cities are already promoting urban-rural cooperation in the context of the European Green Deal, namely in mobility, energy and food. In particular: - Mobility: We will showcase how urban-rural mobility is promoted as part of sustainable urban mobility plans while taking advantage of new mobility solutions (e.g. mobility as a service). - Ecosystem services and energy: urban populations depend on rural areas for essential ecosystem services, such as for the production of (renewable) energy. Through this example, we will showcase of how cities can promote integrated energy system at metropolitan level. - Short supply chains and food: Demand patterns in cities can drive short supply chains and the circular economy. Through this example, we will showcase how the promotion of short supply chain in the food sector contributes to both better food for consumers and better livelihood for producers. We will look at these issues with both a political and technical lense, presenting concrete actions currently put forward by local governments and discuss how these interact with EU policies and financial supports. We will also discuss the relevance of these EU examples for cities in other regions of the world.