Members of the European City Network (ECN) gathered at the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference in Vienna, an annual international gathering that connects experts, mayors, and young innovators to address pressing global challenges through local innovation.This year, two-day conference took place in the Vienna City Hall during May 5-6, 2025 and was centered around the theme “Just Transition: Local Action for a Sustainable Future”.
Prior to the beginning of the Conference, ECN representatives were welcomed on May 4, 2025 at Café Kunsthalle for a networking and exchange dinner. At the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference, ECN Members had the opportunity to network with mayors, international organisations, municipal leaders, young innovators, and sustainability. At the same time, ECN members shared initiatives and best practices that their cities are implementing to contribute to a just and sustainable transition. Some of the workshops where European City Network representatives presented their approach include:
Best Practice Exchange: Biodiversity and the Transformation of Urban Spaces – Insights from the European City Network
– Pedro Aguilera Cortés, Commissioner for Participation, City of Barcelona, Spain
– Barbara Tusk, Deputy Director for Public Spaces in Gdansk department of Green Areas, City of Gdansk, Poland
– Gisela Martins, Head of the Environment Division, Municipality of Valongo, Portugal
Best Practice Exchange: Blue-Green Infrastructure and Housing – Insights from the European City Network
– Nuno Lopes, Special Advisor to the Mayor, City of Cascais, Portugal
– Michalis Tsoupakis, Deputy Mayor, City of Chania, Greece
Panel Discussion: Creating a Legacy – The European Capitals of Democracy
– Carla Nunes Semedo, Executive Councillor for Health, Social Affairs and Human Rights, City of Cascais, Portugal
– Pedro Aguilera Cortés, Commissioner for Participation, City of Barcelona, Spain
– Nina Abrahamczik, Member of the City Council & Chair of the Committee for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel, City of Vienna, Austria
During these sessions, ECN members shared the best practices that their cities are implementing to contribute to shaping a more sustainable society. Commissioner Aguilera discussed a participatory budget approach to transforming urban spaces, while Deputy Director for Public Spaces, Barbara Tusk, shared how her city is creating biodiverse greenspaces – microforests – in dense urban areas. Gisela Martins, Head of the Environment Division, Carla Semedo, Executive Councillor for Health, Social Affairs and Human Rights, and Michalis Tsoupakis, Deputy Mayor of Chania, shared insight into how their cities are combining blue-green infrastructure and housing policy to address climate adaptation and social equity.
Pictured: Pedro Aguilera, City of Barcelona (left), Nina Abrahamczik, City of Vienna (right), Carla Semedo (right), City of Cascais
Finally, representatives from the former (Barcelona), the current (Vienna), and the future (Cascais) European Capitals of Democracy reflected what the title truly means to their City, and shared the challenges they faced, as well as the positive impact that this title still has on their city. They highlighted how being part of the European City Network encourages the opportunity to strengthen democracy across Europe.