The outcomes of the 1st year of CapaCITIES reveal substantial progress across the core countries. Through collaborative efforts, partners successfully connected the selected Mission cities at national level, carried out comprehensive stakeholder mappings, and executed analyses – all contributing to a holistic understanding of each nation's urban climate challenges and the broader national governance context. Partners organized national events (currently either in the planning phase or actual implementation) which showcase the commitment to foster dialogue and collaboration among the different actors – supported with resources from the CapaCITIES project. Moreover, some countries have demonstrated advanced strides by establishing operational national support structures, indicating a proactive stance towards enhancing urban climate resilience. Notably, in some core countries there is a well-established connection to other European initiatives, particularly with NZC and New European Bauhaus, showcasing synergies and collaborative engagement at a broader European level.
In our annual review, the core countries identified the challenges that might have set back the implementation of the Cities Mission nationally. The most common ones are listed below:
Complex Ecosystem and Lack of Alignment: The intricate ecosystem of European and national initiatives has led to confusion, with this lack of alignment posing difficulties.
Financing and Funding Constraints: A significant hurdle has been the challenge of securing adequate funding for the implementation of actions supporting climate-neutrality.
Sensitivity to Political Environment: The implementation has been susceptible to the influence of changing political environments and interests, adding a layer of unpredictability to the initiative.
Moderate Priority of the Cities Mission: The City Mission's status as a relatively low priority for some ministries has hindered progress. This reflects broader challenges in ensuring awareness of the Cities Mission and high-level commitment to urban climate neutrality.
Nevertheless, these challenges encountered in the initial year of the CapaCITIES project have yielded valuable insights, shaping key learnings essential for future advancements:
Clear Communication of Ambitions: Improved clarity in communicating the ambitions of the Cities Mission is essential.
Eagerness to Act: The first-year experience reveals a shared eagerness among many actors to take action, thus we need to build on this in order to secure a collective commitment to the Cities Mission’s goals.
Improved Coordination: However, better coordination with different stakeholders is identified as a crucial aspect, emphasizing the need for enhanced collaboration and communication among diverse participants.
Disentangling Complexities: Recognizing the need to disentangle the complex web of ambitions, regulations, and responsibilities is a vital learning, suggesting a streamlined approach to navigate intricate structures.
Focus on Concrete Actions: The emphasis on focusing more on concrete actions that showcase the tangible outcomes of invested efforts is a key learning.
Involving Interested Cities: Acknowledging the need to involve not only selected cities but also other interested cities is crucial, broadening the outreach and fosters inclusivity.
These learnings provide a solid foundation for refining strategies, overcoming challenges, and ensuring a more effective and impactful second year for the CapaCITIES project.
