Zagreb Partner City

Key Facts

Zagreb joined the SINERGI network of twinned cities as a partner committed to exploring how urban environments can support both growth and inclusion. The city became a host for collaborative exchanges where administrators, academics, civic organizations, and residents could share perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of contemporary urban life. Within this framework, Zagreb contributed local knowledge and practical experience to a broader European dialogue on social integration and sustainable development, reinforcing the project's emphasis on shared learning across diverse metropolitan contexts and cultures, while also benefiting from insights gathered in partner cities facing comparable transformations in their neighborhoods and institutions.

The first thematic seminar organized under the SINERGI project was held in Zagreb over several days, gathering representatives from partner cities as well as researchers, students, and members of nongovernmental organizations. The program focused on strategies for inclusive and exclusive urban growth, with sessions dedicated to regeneration practices, social cohesion, and the role of participation in shaping city policies. Participants engaged in workshops, presentations, and discussions that encouraged the exchange of methods and experiences, helping to build a common vocabulary around integrated urban development and to identify shared priorities that could guide future activities within the broader project framework.

Zagreb's involvement highlighted the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in conversations about the future of the city. City administrative representatives, university partners, civic organizations, and local citizens were invited to contribute to the seminar's discussions, reflecting a belief that meaningful strategies for urban growth must be developed collaboratively. By bringing teachers and students into dialogue with practitioners and policymakers, the event underscored the value of linking scientific inquiry with practical experience. The seminar also offered a platform for keynote speakers and thematic experts to share insights on how cities can pursue regeneration while maintaining a commitment to social integration and equitable access to opportunity.

As a host city, Zagreb demonstrated the practical dimensions of international cooperation on urban questions. The seminar took place in a central venue that allowed easy access for participants, while the city's administrative offices provided organizational support and facilitated engagement with local institutions. By welcoming colleagues from other partner cities, Zagreb helped to establish a rhythm of meetings and exchanges that defined the SINERGI project's early phase. The experience also enabled the host team to test formats for workshops, reporting, and public communication that could be refined and reused in subsequent events planned across the network, contributing to the project's evolving structure and shared methodology.

The Zagreb seminar marked a starting point for ongoing collaboration within the SINERGI network, setting expectations for future thematic workshops, publications, and joint activities. Lessons drawn from the event informed the design of later gatherings in other partner cities and contributed to a growing body of shared resources on urban regeneration, social integration, and participatory planning. Zagreb's role as a first host underscored the project's commitment to rotating leadership and to ensuring that each partner city plays an active part in shaping the agenda. The seminar's outcomes thus continue to resonate within the network, supporting the development of common tools, reports, and strategies for inclusive urban growth.