A multisectoral approach illuminated by a diverse pool of experts and city leaders  

From BID (Business Improvement District) leaders to local commerce experts, the event brings together politicians, policy leaders and private sector stakeholders with knowledge and first-hand expertise relating to the interdisciplinary subject of city centre management. The event organisers, Centre-ville en mouvement and the Greater Paris Metropolis lend their proven expertise in proximity economy to crafting an engaging and topical programme with round table discussions, pitches and site visits.  

The Lively Downtowns programme: leading city centre revitalisation efforts in Greater Paris  

Since 2018, the Greater Paris Metropolis has proven its relevance in the proximity economy sector, managing the Lively Downtowns programme which provides comprehensive technical and financial support to its 130 member cities with varying social and economic contexts.   

Their multiparter approach supports integrated planning for city centres, providing ressources to conduct urban planning studies or undertake public infrastructure improvements but also fostering community and capacity building activities for a 110-person network of specialised professionals, City Centre Managers. To date, the programme has funded 30 million euros of subsidies for city centre revitalisation in Greater Paris with 105 cities taking part.  

Cities@Heart: a network providing good practices and tools for city centres 

At a European level, the Greater Paris Metropolis is Lead Partner of the URBACT IV Cities@Heart Network, an action planning network focused on developing tools for city centre policy improvement and evaluation. The toolkit and methodology of the network, assisted by Barcelona-based Lead Expert Mar Santamaria Varas, will be presented at the European Forum on City Centres in November where project partners and elected representatives from Cities@Heart members cities will be present.  

A European Observatory for knowledge sharing  

Celebrating their 20-year anniversary this year, Centres-villes en mouvement expanded their primarily francophone offering of city centre tools to a wider audience with the launch of the European City Centre Observatory in 2022. Since then, a series of webinars have been organised within the contexts of four distinct observatories bringing together experts and city leaders around the specific themes addressed:  

The Observatory programming reflects the rich complexity of city center management and makes a case for a multipronged approach when tackling the issue of downtown revitalisation, with a need to simultaneously focus on commerce, pedestrianisation, mobility, environmental stewardship and culture.  

As a culmination of the last 3 years of exploration and exchanges, the Observatory Presidents and contributors will present their findings, providing a conclusion to the discussions carried out within the framework of these Observatories and laying the groundwork for a city center action plan.  

Two days of reflection and discussion at the European level 

This year’s European Forum on City Centres will bring together delegations from across the European Union around a common objective: to consider the future of city centers at the European level, share best practices, and together build a sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive vision for city centers. Register today to be a part of the discussion. 

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