Photos of the event

Please find the photos of the event here.

Meet our speakers!

Erblin Berisha is an experienced researcher and project expert specialising in EU-funded programmes, with a strong focus on territorial development, spatial planning, and regional policy. He has contributed to several European cooperation initiatives, particularly within the ESPON programme, supporting research, policy analysis, and strategic planning activities. His expertise includes project coordination, territorial analysis, stakeholder engagement, and the development of evidence-based recommendations for European public policies.

Benedek Jávor is a Hungarian biologist, environmentalist and green politician. Jávor was a leading NGO activist in the 2000s and a green Member of the Hungarian Parliament (2010-2014), chair of its Sustainable Development Committee. Member of the European Parliament between 2014-2019 in the Greens/EFA group, first-vice chair of the Committee for Environment in the EP. Currently, he is the Head of the Representation of Budapest to the EU, mainly responsible for relations with and lobbying the EU institutions. He has 16 years of academic experience, he is the author of more than 50 publications on a wide range of topics.  

Mirosław Grochowski, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Urban Research Laboratory within the Department of Urban Geography and Spatial Planning. His scholarship focuses on spatial planning and the governance of urban and metropolitan development, with particular attention to the shaping of functional–spatial structures, the mechanisms driving land-use change, multilevel governance, and inter-municipal cooperation across functional urban areas. Contributor to EU Framework, ESPON, and INTERREG projects (Urb Pandens, PLUREL, Best Metropolises, DIVERCITIES, Creative Metropoles, Cross Innovation, URDICO). Member of the Society of Polish Town Planners and the Polish Geographical Society.

Iván Tosics is an “urban explorer”, eager to find interesting examples and good practices of cities to innovate urban development, for the sake of public interest and keeping the balance between social, environmental and economic interests. Iván is one of the principals of Metropolitan Research Institute (MRI), Budapest. He is a sociologist (PhD) with long experience in urban sociology, strategic development, housing policy and EU regional policy issues. Between 2011 and 2022 he was one of the Programme Experts (Thematic Pole Managers) of the URBACT programme. He teaches at the University of Pécs, Department of Political Studies, Doctoral School.  He is vice chair of the European Network of Housing Research (ENHR), executive committee member of the European Urban Research Association (EURA). He is the Policy Editor of the journal ‘Urban Research and Practice’. He publishes extensively on topics like integrated urban development, urban renewal, metropolitan areas, EU urban policies, dilemmas of post-Covid urban development. 

About the event:

This event is designed to showcase the value of ESPON research and deepen understanding of how its evidence can support the design and implementation of sustainable urban development strategies within the framework of EU Cohesion Policy. It aims to reach new audiences, broaden the community of potential users, and encourage the uptake of ESPON knowledge across all stages of the policy cycle.

Focusing on the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy, the learning event will highlight key insights from the ESPON URDICO project. It blends training and capacity-building components, such as evidence-based urban analysis, with opportunities for mutual learning and networking, including peer discussions and thematic exchanges.

Key objectives of the learning event are to:

• Present the main findings of the ESPON URDICO analysis, with particular attention to governance models shaping the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy across Europe.

• Share practical knowledge on how Cohesion Policy instruments foster institutional innovation, strengthen administrative capacity, and enhance multi-level governance on urban issues.

• Communicate the role of ESPON in informing urban development policies, especially for participants with limited prior exposure to territorial evidence and the research–policy interface.

Organised by ESPON EGTC as a hybrid, stand-alone open session at the request of Politecnico di Milano, the event is embedded within the “Urban Planning and Policy Design” Master of Science programme, which prepares a new generation of professionals in urban planning, policy design, and sustainable urban development. It also contributes to the broader framework of TAP Perspectives for All People and Places.

Agenda highlights:

The event will open with welcome remarks from Politecnico di Milano and ESPON EGTC, followed by a presentation of key evidence from the URDICO project. It will then move to policy perspectives on city-level capacity, featuring case studies from Warsaw, Florence, and Budapest, with a focus on governance models, policy instruments, and post-2027 recommendations. The programme will conclude with an interactive session, encouraging questions and open discussion.

Target audience 

The event is tailored to international students, academic staff, and young professionals engaged in urban planning and policy design. It offers students a valuable opportunity to explore real-world examples of urban policymaking, understand how research informs policy, and engage with evidence-based approaches in an interactive setting. While many participants may be new to European territorial policies, their interest and curiosity make them a key audience for fostering future researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, alongside current city-level professionals.

The target audience includes:

• Master’s students
• Academic staff and professors
• Representatives of public institutions and city administrations