The Ministry of European Integration and the URBACT Programme Secretariat invite representatives of local self-governments, urban planners, experts, civil society organisations, the academic community, and all those interested in sustainable urban development to apply to participate in the closing event and ceremony of the URBACT European Learning Programme for Western Balkan cities, which will take place on 17 September 2026 at the City Hall in Sarajevo.
The URBACT Pioneers Accelerator is a specially designed initiative under the URBACT Learning Programme intended for cities in the Western Balkan countries that are in the European Union accession process. During the eighteen-month programme, 27 cities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia worked together with European experts, partner cities and local stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to the challenges faced by their communities.
The programme is based on the recognised URBACT methodology, which promotes cooperation, knowledge exchange and the co-creation of solutions. Particular emphasis is placed on the principle of “learning by doing”, through which cities not only develop ideas, but also test them in practice and transform them into concrete local initiatives.
Throughout the programme, local teams implemented pilot actions addressing a wide range of issues relevant to contemporary urban development, including sustainable mobility, tourism, waste management and the protection of nature in urban areas. Simultaneously, they enhanced cooperation processes with citizens and stakeholders, developed local measures, and strengthened their communication skills in order to make the results of their work more visible and accessible to the wider public.
The closing event in Sarajevo shall provide an opportunity to present the programme’s results, exchange experiences and good practices, and demonstrate how cities in the Western Balkans are successfully applying European principles of sustainable and integrated urban development at the local level.
A special part of the programme will be devoted to the presentation of the pilot actions implemented by the participating cities, panel discussions on the role of local self-governments in sustainable transformation and leadership development, as well as the ceremonial presentation of the “URBACT Pioneers Tree of Tomorrow” initiative, a symbolic tree representing the shared vision, ambitions and leadership of the cities participating in the programme.
The event will bring together mayors and representatives of local self-governments from Western Balkan countries, urban development experts, representatives of the European Commission and other institutions of the European Union, as well as numerous stakeholders engaged in the sustainable development of cities.
Participation in the event is free of charge; however, prior registration is mandatory.
Further information about the event, the agenda and the registration procedure is available on the official website.
