Through the IUC programme, cities and regions across Europe have entered into partnerships on sustainable development with counterparts from around the globe. For a full list of city pairings so far, see the table below:
The Italian city of Bologna is collaborating with Austin, Texas on a range of issues, from advancing a healthy local food system and improving resource efficiency to enhancing resilience to climate change.
On paper the two cities are quite different - Bologna, a densely populated historic city, and Austin, a newly developed city with a large suburban population. However, in practice the two cities found not only similarities, but that their differences are leading to fruitful and thought-provoking exchange.
Whilst developing their pairing, the cities decided to use the opportunity to learn more about topics such as the circular economy and sustainable economic development. In Austin, this resulted in the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Economic Development collaborating more closely.
Following a trip to Bologna by delegates from the City of Austin, the two cities have found that in discussing their approaches to common problems, they are led to new ideas and ways of looking at issues. These new ways of thinking will inform the pairing’s Local Action Plan.