The International Urban Cooperation Program (IURC) of the European Union has organized for tomorrow Thursday and Friday two working days in Zaragoza in which international specialists will learn first hand some of the initiatives implemented in our city in terms of sustainable mobility, electrification and autonomous driving, among other issues.
The meeting will open tomorrow Thursday at 9.15 am at the Gran Hotel, with the participation of the Deputy Mayor, Sara Fernandez, and the Councilor for Public Services and Mobility, Natalia Chueca. Also participating will be Ronald Hall, representative of the EU Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO); and Miguel Ángel Ania, municipal advisor.
Representatives from Ottawa (Canada); Kansas City, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Santa Monica (USA); Bergamo and Rimini (Italy); Dortmund and Mannheim (Germany); the metropolis of Silesia (Poland); Pau (France) and Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, among other cities, are expected to attend.
Natalia Chueca highlighted “the interest of these types of meetings, which serve to show the world Zaragoza’s commitment to sustainability and technological implementation, always with the aim of improving the quality of life of its citizens and achieving the objectives set as one of the hundred climate neutral cities of the European Union in 2030”.
In this sense, the Deputy Mayor, Sara Fernandez, highlighted “the importance for the external projection of Zaragoza that our city is at the forefront in many aspects of sustainable mobility and innovation, which also results in the generation of economic and business activity in this area”.
Throughout Thursday morning, participants in this session will learn first-hand about the different options for shared mobility, micro-mobility and autonomous delivery of goods currently operating in Zaragoza. They will also take tours of the city using urban public transport, both the new electric buses and the streetcar, and will visit the facilities of both services. The working sessions will be held at Etopia throughout the afternoon, where several discussion forums have been organized.
Cities shaping the future
The IURC aims to lead and develop a form of decentralized international urban and regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable urban development and innovation in key partner countries and regions.
In the words of Rudolf Niessler, Senior Advisor for International Relations, DG REGIO, “IUC is more than signing agreements. It is about the practical implementation of concrete projects. It is a functional platform for cooperation between stakeholders from business, government and research institutions who come together to implement actions and make a difference for the future.
