Braga participates in UrbanCitizen Power in Thessaloniki, strengthening the voice of citizens in cities

UrbanCitizen Power is a European cooperation project funded by the INTERREG programme, aimed at strengthening citizen participation by enhancing their voice, capacities, and tools, while recognising citizens as key stakeholders in urban development processes. The project brings together partner cities and institutions, including Braga (Portugal), Groningen (the Netherlands), Kiel (Germany), Guldborgsund (Denmark), Pori (Finland), Košice (Slovakia), the Region of Central Macedonia (Thessaloniki, Greece), and the Heinrich Böll Foundation (Germany). Following previous Urban Living Labs held in Braga and Groningen, the city of Thessaloniki hosted an Urban Living Lab from 1 to 3 December.

During this event, local urban development policies were analysed, available funding opportunities were discussed, and site visits were conducted to several public spaces in the Municipality of Kalamaria, including the Kodra Military Camp and the Sensory Park. Accompanied by the municipal official responsible for public spaces, participants engaged in discussions and reflections on potential future uses and interventions for these sites, drawing inspiration from the principles of the New European Bauhaus, which advocate for more sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality urban environments.

The programme also included meetings with local associations and organisations, as well as a coordination meeting among project partners to assess progress and monitor the overall development of the project.

A central component of the UrbanCitizen Power project is the implementation of Urban Living Labs. These function as collaborative platforms that bring together citizens, local authority representatives, civil society organisations, and other local stakeholders to jointly design, test, and refine urban solutions. Through these hands-on and participatory processes, partners are able to exchange knowledge, learn from good practices across cities, and develop responses that are closely aligned with the real needs of local communities. Ultimately, the project seeks to promote active civic engagement in identifying urban challenges and co-creating solutions, thereby contributing to more equitable, inclusive, and responsive public policies.