The cities of Gdansk in Poland, Madrid in Spain, and Pau in France received prizes at The 2024 Eurocities Awards, having demonstrated commitment to this year’s theme of tackling global challenges.
“The winners of this year’s Eurocities Awards have shown their exceptional drive to create healthier, more prosperous futures for their residents and to stand up for the core European values of democracy and equality,” said Burkhard Jung, President of Eurocities and Mayor of Leipzig.
Madrid won in the ‘Innovation ecosystems: attracting and retaining talent’ award category. Its ‘Centre for Innovation in the Circular Economy’ is a hub that fosters innovation and support of business entrepreneurship to help the city reduce waste and embrace sustainability. It offers training, business support, and space for experimentation, including co-working spaces, offices, and a Fablab.
Pau won in the ‘Sustainable food systems: empowering people’ category, with its Green Belt project. The project has the aim of shortening food supply chains and increasing locally produced food in order to support local economies, reduce the carbon footprint, and bolster food resilience.
Gdansk won in the ‘Creative election campaigns: mobilizing citizens’ category for its ‘Don’t sleep, or you will be outvoted’ campaign. The campaign – which was designed to inform the public about the 2023 national elections – brought about a record turnout, motivating first-time voters, young people, and women to cast their votes.
““Amid increasing political division in Europe, widening inequalities and the impacts of climate change, our cities are responding with innovative, inspirational projects that are transforming people’s lives and setting a compelling example for others to follow,” stated Jung. “As the European elections draw closer, cities are proving that they have the vision needed to tackle society’s most significant challenges. The EU must recognise this transformative power, working with city governments to develop strong policies that will ensure a green, prosperous future for all, built on the values of democracy and equality.”