European city centres at the heart of urban transformation: the URBACT network Cities@Heart
The URBACT network Cities@Heart
A result of urban sprawl and rising property values, the spatial fragmentation of our cities further strains the resilience of the high street. Amid all these challenges, city centres are well worth understanding, defending and improving. That’s where the URBACT Cities@Heart Action Planning network comes in.
As part of the European URBACT IV programme, ten European local authorities have come together to form Cities@Heart, a network dedicated to sharing good practices and improving the evaluation of public policies in city centres.
Launched in June 2023 and active until December 2025, Cities@Heart focuses on five key levers to strengthen city centres: supporting local commerce, boosting residential life, promoting inclusive environments, building a strong city-centre identity and establishing shared governance.
Each partner city developed a local Integrated Action Plan (IAP), aligned with these themes, in order to strengthen the resilience, inclusiveness and attractiveness of its city centre.
Coordinated by the Greater Paris Metropolis (Métropole du Grand Paris) and supported by expert Mar Santamaria Varas, the Cities@Heart network adheres to a sustainable urban revitalisation approach, funded by the European Union’s ERDF through the URBACT programme. The National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT) manages the URBACT programme on behalf of the European Union.
The partners of the network are :
- The Greater Paris Metropolis, France
- The City of Cesena, Italy
- The City of Granada, Spain
- The City of Osijek, Croatia
- Amfiktyonies (Lamia), Greece
- The City of Celje, Slovenia
- The City of Fleurus, Belgium
- Sligo County and Sligo BID, Ireland
- Krakow Metropolitan Association, Poland
- Pentágono Urbano, Portugal
Each partner in the network is facing their own challenges: loss of inhabitants to the peripheries or the metropolitan areas, underdeveloped local commerce networks, conflicts generated by the intensive use of public space, the transition to walkable and carless environments, gentrification and over-tourism, gender equality and inclusion...
Yet, all partners can agree on one thing: city centres are unique places and not just because they hold a certain affective charm: they truly are the lifeforce of our urban societies. Keeping the heart of downtown healthy is key to ensuring the vibrancy of local economies and the well-being of inhabitants.
Over the course of the URBACT IV programming period, seven transnational meetings were organised, the last of which was held in Paris on the sidelines of the Third European Forum on City Centres. These meetings, fully aligned with the URBACT methodology, promoted intercultural exchange, the observation of good local practices and the organisation of collaborative workshops. They enabled project partners to deepen the network’s methodological principles and to consolidate their Integrated Action Plans.
Network deliverables Cities@Heart
The Cities@Heart network and the Lively Downtowns program have produced several resources for local authorities, technicians, business owners and citizens involved in the transformation of downtowns.
Discover the Cities@Heart deliverables here and on the network's URBACT page :
The European Forum on City Centres
The 3rd European Forum on City Centres, organised by the Greater Paris Metropolis in partnership with Centre-Ville en Mouvement as part of the European City Centre Observatories, marked the key moment that brought the URBACT Cities@Heart network to a close. This event provided a high-level platform to present the network's results and highllight the commitment of the ten partners.
Throughout the various contributions, members of the network illustrated the diversity and maturity of their local city‑centre revitalisation policies. The presence of ANCT, Eurocities, and the URBACT Secretariat reinforced the institutional significance of the event, underlining the importance of European cooperation in supporting local authorities through their urban transitions.
The Lively Downtowns Programme
Launched in 2018 by the Greater Paris Metropolis in collaboration with metropolitan mayors, the Lively Downtowns program marked a strong and deliberate commitment to breathing new life into city centres. Originally introduced as a Call for Expression of Interest (AMI – Appel à Manifestation d’Intérêt), the initiative evolved in 2021 into a dynamic framework offering personalized, ongoing support. This transformation established genuine partnerships between the Greater Paris Metropolis and each participating city, fostering long-term collaboration and impactful urban renewal. Since its creation, the Lively Downtowns program has supported 109 cities and awarded 93 subsidies through its FIMACS fund (Metropolitan Intervention Fund to support Craftsmanship, Commerce, and Services), totalling 43,5 million euros.
In 2023, with the Bank of Territories and partners (the Chamber of Commerce Paris Île-de-France, the Chamber of Crafts Île-de-France, SEMMARIS, and Crédit Agricole Île-de-France), the Greater Paris Metropolis created the “Lively Downtowns” Real Estate Public Company with an initial investment fund of 140 million euros. This initiative equips metropolitan cities with a powerful tool to encourage greater artisan and commercial diversity within their jurisdiction.
The Greater Paris Metropolis remains firmly committed to enhancing the appeal and vibrancy of its city centres. In 2025, it launched the third edition of the Lively Downtowns program, reaffirming its dedication to inclusive and sustainable urban renewal. This new phase tackles pressing social challenges and intensifies support for cities with particularly fragile urban cores. By promoting territorial equity and long-term revitalization, the initiative continues to shape a more resilient and attractive metropolitan landscape.
