RURBANIVE Forum 1 - Understanding the New EU Agenda for Cities

First session of the RURBANIVE Forum series - online policy dialogues translating research evidence into policy insights and recommendations on urban-rural dynamics in EU policymaking. Organised by AEIDL. The session examined the new EU Agenda for Cities (presented by the European Commission in December 2025) through an urban-rural lens, alongside the Right to Stay consultation, the European Affordable Housing Plan and the next EU budget.

The event brought together 71 participants from multiple countries and levels of governance. Keynote interventions by Dr Jan Olbrycht (former MEP, Urban Intergroup chair, RURBAN Preparatory Action) and Valentin Roth (Expert, Eurocities); RURBANIVE policy findings presented by Serafin Pazos-Vidal and Janne Sinerma (AEIDL); project introduction by the coordinator Kostas Naskou (ICCS).

Policy gaps identified for future work: linking housing pressures with regional labour markets and mobility systems; equitable access to services across sparsely and densely populated territories; digital and technological transitions that work across territorial contexts; better measurement of urban-rural flows and functional linkages. These now feed the policy proposals in the 'Policy Recommendations - Vote & Validate' space.

The full event report is available in the Policy Library.