Cities Forum 2025 - Inclusive urban futures: driving growth through equity and opportunity

Mayor Stefano Lo Russo framed inclusion as central to city resilience and growth, stating ‘real inclusion happens when bottom-up meets top-down.’ Sabrina Abdi (ANCT) stressed that cities need better multi-level governance and easier access to EU funds to implement inclusive strategies. Camille Viros (OECD) warned of the mounting costs of inaction, highlighting rising inequalities and shrinking middle-income groups.

Three city cases illustrated actionable approaches: Rotterdam’s Rikx uses a social credit scheme to finance reintegration efforts; Bratislava aligns urban development with affordability by negotiating directly with developers; and Rome’s We-Z project connects urban regeneration to youth mental health and wellbeing. The discussion underscored how inclusive policies are often piloted locally and require institutional adaptation at national and EU levels to achieve broader impact.

A strong lesson from the session was that inclusive growth must be central to urban development strategies. It is not a secondary goal but a driver of prosperity, safety, and resilience.

The discussions demonstrated that while cities are often at the forefront of innovation - testing practical solutions to reduce inequality- they cannot do it alone. Successful inclusive growth requires stronger multi-level governance and easier access to EU and national funding.

The examples from Rome, Rotterdam, and Bratislava highlighted that different cities require different approaches, but the underlying principles - community involvement, strategic partnerships, and social investment - are widely shared.

A recurring theme was the importance of embedding inclusion across all policy areas and departments, ensuring it becomes a standard practice rather than a niche concern.

Mayor Stefano Lo Russo closed the session by reaffirming that inclusion is not a secondary policy objective but a strategic asset for cities - essential to ensuring safety, cohesion, and shared prosperity. He stressed that investment in people, especially the most vulnerable, yields long-term economic and social returns. As cities navigate complex transitions, he urged that inclusive growth be treated as a core pillar of the EU Urban Agenda. Participants were encouraged to continue learning, collaborating, and sharing taking advantage of the EUI knowledge, exchange and capacity building supports.

Speakers called for funding structures that prioritise social inclusion alongside climate and digital goals, emphasising the need for actionable, place-based policy. The session reinforced that cities require direct, simplified access to cohesion and recovery funding to translate EU ambitions into local realities. Structured collaboration between different levels of government and recognition of cities as essential partners were highlighted as critical. Advancing Europe’s urban agenda will depend on empowering cities to embed equity within their planning, investment, and governance frameworks.