Linking the urban and the rural – An EUI and JRC Peer Review in Perugia

This peer review is a two-day workshop designed for local authorities responsible for drafting and/or implementing integrated territorial development strategies—supported by EU Cohesion Policy—in both urban and non-urban areas. It will address specific issues such as governance, funding and stakeholder involvement, all under the overarching theme of urban–rural linkages.

Why is this peer review special? For the first time, urban authorities will work side-by-side with non-urban peer reviewers and share the experience with the non-urban strategies under review.

Who are the four strategies under review? Two urban strategies, Perugia (IT) and Vinkovci (HR) and two non-urban, Wipptal (AT) and Siret-Barlad East Area (RO). They will be accompanied be a team of EUI experts and representatives of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. As always, they will be seating around the table with an  excellent selection of peer reviewers from more than 10 EU countries, the four delegations will be able to break the ice and explore diverse solutions to their respective challenges.

These four strategies will be accompanied by a team of EUI experts and representatives from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Together with an outstanding selection of peer reviewers from more than ten EU countries, the delegations will be able to break the ice and explore diverse solutions to their respective challenges.

These topics, pre-identified in the application form, are rediscussed with the experts working with each strategy, reformulated and put into context with the help of the SAT4SUD and Sat4TER– two self-assessment tools addressed to local authorities and providing guidance when evaluating the strategy’s completeness and quality, from its design and implementation, to its monitoring and evaluation. This tool is available to any city wishing to work on their SUD strategy. After the Peer Review, the four cities under review will receive a personalised report with recommendations and practical ideas helping them tackle their challenges.