European Urban Initiative (EUI) has launched a forward-looking survey to gather insights from urban practitioners and policymakers across Europe, to identify key trends, challenges, knowledge gaps and support needs in European sustainable urban development.
European Urban Initiative writes:
Conducted every two years, the Forward-Looking Survey plays a key role in understanding the evolving challenges and priorities of European cities. This second edition of the survey in 2026 aims at shaping a responsive approach, providing the European Commission with a deeper understanding of the emerging dynamics and needs of cities. Every voice is an important building block in aligning support and activities with the real needs of cities. This is your chance to directly influence the support for sustainable urban development. Take the short, online survey and share the challenges and priorities facing EU urban areas. Every block counts!
Understanding the needs of cities on the ground
The survey offers a bottom-up approach. By reaching out directly to urban practitioners, the European Commission and EUI will gain valuable insights into the real needs of cities, regardless of their size. This ensures that the EUI remains responsive and tailors its support to effectively address the challenges faced by urban areas across Europe. Is your city facing unique challenges? Share your insights and add your block to the EUI survey.
Informing EU policies and initiatives
The survey also plays a crucial role in informing the EU’s Cohesion Policy, which allocates significant resources to sustainable urban development. By providing data-based evidence, the survey helps to ensure that the policy reflects current urban realities.
Who should participate?
The survey welcomes the participation of a wide range of urban stakeholders. If you represent an urban authority, but also 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!
Do you work in a city administration? To ensure a comprehensive response that reflects the city’s needs, we strongly encourage coordinated input from the different departments within the city administration, reflecting the collective views of your local authority. This collaborative approach will enrich the response, providing a more rounded perspective.
How to participate?
It is a simple form on Portico translated in your own language, it takes around 20 minutes to contribute to the survey. Don’t hesitate to feed your reply with examples.
- The survey is available in all EU languages .
- The survey opened on 7 April, and closes on 5 June.
- The results of the survey will be presented at EURegionsWeek in October.
