As cities experiment with how people and institutions collaborate in different ways and spaces, ‘Social innovation’ is becoming a new way of governing and shaping the public realm, grounded in the collective intelligence of the people.
URBACT writes:
If you represent an urban authority, if you work in a regional or national authority, if you are an urban practitioner or a researcher in urban development, or if you represent any other organisation involved in urban policies and planning or implementing urban development strategies, this survey is for you!
This is a unique opportunity to express your views and have an influence in shaping the content and strategic direction of EUI activities, to inform the urban dimension of EU Cohesion Policy and beyond, and to support the delivery of the EU Agenda for cities.
URBACT Good Practices highlight valuable solutions for European cities on topics ranging from mobility to housing, green urban regeneration to social innovation and local economy. Among the 116 URBACT Good Practices awarded in 2024, eight cities stand out for their work in turning collaboration into transformation. From employability to neighbourhood regeneration, these practices can be seen as part of the social innovation movement: cities are moving from delivering services to co-operative city-making.
Social innovation in cities
Social innovation is often described in relation to a social good. In cities, this type of innovation can happen when citizens, public servants, researchers and local actors experiment together to solve shared problems, often outside traditional power hierarchies. In other words, social innovation emerges when institutions and public institutions become porous enough to let new knowledge in, opening governance and turning collaboration into a method for city-making. This collective creativity, which lies at the heart of social innovation and the capacity to generate social value through trust, can strengthen and amplify a shared sense of purpose.
Across the eight practices featured in this article, social innovation unfolds through three main pathways:
- Cities transforming their public systems from within
- Communities using spaces and networks as engines of collaboration
- People developing skills and agency to shape their own everyday lives
In light of current social innovation research, these practices highlight not just institutional typologies but also the different logics of change.
Public systems that learn and adapt
Public institutions are rethinking how to deliver social value through collaboration and integrated governance. These institutions must recognise that complexity demands collaboration, and learning must become part of governance itself.
#1 – Barcelona (ES)
#2 – Miskolc (HU)
#3 – Roeselare (BE)
#4 – Ghent (BE)
#5 – Brindisi (IT)
#6 – Braga (PT)
#7 – Amarante (PT)
#8 – Kristianstad (SE)
To read about the projects go to the following link:
