This policy brief, based on the ESPON URDICO final report, examines how the urban dimension of EU Cohesion Policy has been implemented across eight European cities. It highlights how cities interact with national and regional authorities, align EU funds with local long-term agendas, and contribute to broader EU goals.

This case study on Warsaw is part of the annexes of the ESPON URDICO final report, examining how EU Cohesion Policy is implemented in the Warsaw Metropolis, including the city of Warsaw and surrounding municipalities. It explores institutional arrangements, administrative capacity, multi-level governance, and territorial coordination across local, metropolitan, regional, national, and EU levels.

This case study on Valencia is part of the annexes of the ESPON URDICO final report. Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, is governed by the Mayor-President and a 33-member City Council, managing competences such as urban planning, housing, transport, social services, and environmental protection.

This case study on Strasbourg is part of the annexes of the ESPON URDICO final report. Strasbourg is the capital of the Grand Est region in France and one of the official capitals of the European Union. The city has around 292,000 inhabitants, while the Eurom?tropole de Strasbourg (EMS), which groups 33 municipalities, has 517,000 inhabitants. The broader functional urban area covers 268 municipalities with 865,000 inhabitants, excluding the cross-border Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau.

This case study examines Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second-largest city and home to Europe’s largest seaport. Despite its economic importance, Rotterdam faces socio-economic disparities, particularly in the southern districts, with higher unemployment, lower education levels, and poor housing.

This annex to the URDICO Final Report examines Prague and its metropolitan area, focusing on the implementation of EU Cohesion Policy and related programmes. The case highlights the complexities of metropolitan governance in a context without a formal metropolitan authority, where coordination must bridge 491 municipalities, two regions, and 57 city boroughs.

This annex to the URDICO Final Report examines Ghent, a mid-sized city in the Flemish region of Belgium, and its engagement with EU Cohesion Policy and related programmes. With approximately 270,000 residents and a strong neighbourhood-oriented approach to urban development, Ghent integrates social and spatial objectives through long-term, area-based strategies such as the wijkstructuurschetsen (neighbourhood structure sketches).

This annex to the URDICO Final Report presents an in-depth examination of Budapest and its engagement with EU Cohesion Policy. The study describes the city’s governance framework, including its two-tier municipal structure with 23 districts, and explores how this structure interacts with national-level policies and funding mechanisms.

This factsheet is one of the annexes of the URDICO Final Report and provides an overview of Warsaw’s urban structure, socio-economic profile, and role within the Warsaw Metropolitan Area. It highlights the city’s evolving engagement with EU Cohesion Policy, including its experience as an Intermediate Body for the ITI in 2014–2020 and its continued role in coordinating metropolitan-level projects in 2021–2027.

This factsheet is one of the annexes of the URDICO Final Report and provides an overview of Valencia’s urban profile, socio-economic context, and its role as a major economic, cultural, and educational centre on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. It describes the city’s evolving engagement with EU Cohesion Policy, highlighting the creation of the European Projects Service in 2020 and the Val?ncia 2030 Urban Strategy as tools to enhance Valencia’s capacity to access and implement EU funding.