Fostering Integrated and Sustainable Urban Development in the Future EU Cohesion Policy

Brussels

19.02.2025

Professor Laura Polverari was an invited speaker on 19 February 2025 at high level policymaker event in Brussels, hosted by the Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU, the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Building & Urban Development (BMWSB), the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DV), and the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN).

The event brought together over 100 participants from across the EU to reflect upon the value of the urban dimension in the EU Cohesion Policy.

Prof. Polverari provided an academic contextualisation about the role of cohesion policy for cities and reflections on future opportunities and challenges. She highlighted that, at a time when there is a tendency, both domestically and in the EU, towards centralisation, cohesion policy in cities and towns, through the core principles of subsidiarity and partnership, can be a strong catalyst for democratic values, contributing to democratic strengthening and counteracting democratic backsliding.

Cohesion policy in cities also supports a reconciliation between necessary long-term policy objectives and short term political cycles, as the policy’s medium-term programming allows committing to a longer-term development vision for cities, which goes beyond electoral mandates. Moreover, as we are heading towards renewed austerity, EU cohesion policy investments, e.g. TA, EUI, can contribute to improving administrative capacities and enable cities to perform well even in a context of budgetary constraints.

Further, while city administrations tend to replicate the compartimentalisation that is found in higher level administrations on a lower scale, the integrated instruments of EU cohesion policy foster multi-sectoralism and policy integration. The current approach to EU cohesion policy in cities presents also weaknesses and challenges. Nevertheless, the reform of cohesion policy for the 2028-2034 programming period should be well-pondered and not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 © Alexandre Dechaumont