The European City Network gathered together for our first meeting of 2025 in the beautiful seaside city of Cascais, Portugal. Representatives from thirteen countries in our network meet up at the hotel before taking a bus to Quinta do Pisão in the mountains above the city. After a short walk and a brief welcome presentation, we stepped out into the dappled sunshine under the trees. There we found the rhythm as a group and together created a soundscape of democracy. The group then enjoyed an interactive presentation about the City of Cascais’ work in the topic field of Inclusive Social City Development. Following a short break we made our way to the restaurant for dinner, meandering through the cobbled streets of the city centre before enjoying pizza and sangria!
The next day we set off to the Vida Cascais Social Innovation Station where we learnt about how the city integrates essential services to tackle social challenges, providing access to healthcare, housing support, employment initiatives, social assistance, and youth programmes, all within a single location. The station serves as a one-stop access point for services, exemplifying Cascais’ holistic approach to equity, social cohesion, and community well-being. We then crossed the road to Espaço S – Youth Wellbeing Hub where our network members gave short best-practice presentations from their own cities on the focus topic.
After lunch, we visited the Community Centre of the Parish of Carcavelos. This Private Social Solidarity Institution includes a senior university, childcare facility, impressive homeless service, as well as a social supermarket with reduced prices for essential goods. Here we tucked ourselves away in a room for the second workshop of the day, during which we learnt more about each other’s job roles and how they support Inclusive Social City Development. After a packed day of learning and exchange, the group was looking forward to the networking drinks reception and dinner at the Cascais Cultural Centre, which didn’t disappoint!
On the final day of our trip, we headed to the Santa Maria do Mar Monastery to learn more about the successful Terras de Cascais Programme, a community-driven urban agriculture programme that transforms underutilised spaces into productive green areas, fostering social inclusion, sustainability, and local food security. After a brief presentation and a well-deserved coffee break, we explored the regenerative vineyards and community gardens, as well as the student accommodation. A final Reflection Round helped us take stock of what we had learned and the new and familiar people we had met over the past days.Â
A final lunch overlooking the Atlantic was the perfect way to round off a wonderful few days. Thank you to the dedicated team in Cascais for putting together such an informative programme… we look forward to seeing more of you in Cascais’ Democracy Year in 2026!