Data Card - Cohesion policy and the World Cities Day
Thursday, October 31, is World Cities Day, marking the end of the United Nations’ Urban October, first celebrated in 2014. In 2024, the theme of World Cities Day centers around young people leading climate and local action for cities, with the slogan “Youth Leading Climate and Local Action For Cities”. As stated in a UN document, young people “advocate for bolder steps and actions to address the climate crisis in our cities”, The day highlights the need to capture these bold ideas and ambitious goals and turn them into tangible results.
The choice to celebrate World Cities Day stems from the growing importance of urban areas, which are expected to play a central role in the coming years. According to projections, cities will house 70% of the world’s population by 2050, facing unprecedented challenges, especially in the context of climate change. “In cities around the world, young people represent a significant demographic, and their voices and actions are crucial in shaping the future of cities. By 2030, 60% of urban residents will be under the age of 18. Despite progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urban areas continue to grapple with poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, underscoring the need for urgent and transformative action” as the United Nations emphasizes.
In Italy, cohesion policies pay special attention to urban areas. With the 2014-2020 programming cycle, the National Operational Programme “Metropolitan Cities” (PON METRO) was initiated, initially adopted by the European Commission under Decision C (2015) 4998 of July 14. In addition to resources allocated from the Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, the programme has also received additional funds from the REACT -EU initiative. As of August 31, 2024, 1,415 projects related to PON METRO are being monitored on the OpenCoesione portal, with a monitored public cost of 2.1 billion euros (and 1.8 billion in monitored payments). Fourteen metropolitan cities are involved: Turin, Genoa, Milan, Bologna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Bari, Naples, Reggio Calabria, Cagliari, Catania, Messina, and Palermo. These cities encompass nearly 1,300 municipalities of varying demographic sizes, with a total population exceeding 22 million, which accounts for more than 30% of the national population. For the 2021-2027 period, the legacy of PON METRO is carried forward by the National Metro Plus Program, which also extends attention to 14 Southern Medium Cities, focusing on Digital Transition, Green Transition, Inclusion and Social Innovation, and Urban Regeneration.
The projects detailed in this Data Card are funded under PON METRO. These are interventions aimed at contributing to the implementation of the national Urban Agenda, which in Italy reflects the 12 themes of the EU Urban Agenda: 1) inclusion of migrants and refugees, 2) air quality, 3) urban poverty, 4) housing, 5) circular economy, 6) climate change adaptation, 7) energy transition, 8) urban mobility, 9) digital transition, 10) public procurement, 11) jobs and skills in the local economy, 12) sustainable land use and eco-based solutions.
On Sunday, November 3, and Monday, November 4, 2024, Italy will host the G7 Urban meeting in Rome as part of the fiftieth intergovernmental forum, with Italy holding the Presidency in 2024. The meeting will address Sustainable Urban Development on a global scale with the involvement of Ministers responsible for developing shared policies on this topic. For Italy, a key objective is to draw attention to territorial and urban regeneration aimed at promoting and preserving natural and cultural heritage not as an end in itself but as a powerful tool for achieving social, economic, and ecological goals. The G7 Urban working group, under the Italian Presidency this year, is coordinated by the Department for Cohesion Policy and the South: with experience in planning urban policy and strategies within the scope of European and national cohesion policies, the Department has led the essential preparatory work for innovative policy development.