On the last week of May 2025, the industrial Polish city of Dąbrowa Górnicza became the vibrant stage for the fifth transnational meeting of the URBACT In4Green network. It wasn’t just another project meeting. It was a living proof of how a group of cities across Europe is turning the green transition of industrial areas into something tangible, strategic, and collective.

As delegates arrived from across nine countries, there was an air of enthusiasm and genuine curiosity. Hosted impeccably by the Municipality of Dąbrowa Górnicza, the two-day event combined formal learning sessions, local site visits, dynamic exchange formats, and plenty of room for spontaneous connection. This mixture created not only a productive working environment but also a memorable experience for all involved.

If the first day focused on the outskirts and industrial future, day two took us to the heart of the city. The morning started with a site visit to the "Factory Full of Life", a bold urban regeneration project converting an abandoned industrial site into a new mixed-use hub for culture, housing, food, retail and offices.

The symbolism was powerful. What once stood as a decaying monument to industrial decline is now becoming a catalyst for urban renewal. Partners walked through restored buildings already housing bars and community spaces, and through construction sites that will soon become housing and office complexes. The project served not only as a case study but as a tangible manifestation of what cities can do when vision meets political will.

What made the Dąbrowa Górnicza meeting special was not just the content or the logistics (though both were impeccable). It was the energy. The openness. The sense that across languages and local contexts, these ten cities are part of something bigger.

In4Green is not just about industrial areas or green technologies. It’s about how we plan, how we govern, and how we build alliances to face complex transitions. And it’s about doing all this while keeping people, places and partnerships at the centre.

About In4Green

In4Green is an Action Planning Network co-funded by the European Union through the URBACT IV programme and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It brings together ten small and medium-sized industrial cities committed to accelerating their green transition by working on integrated and participatory action plans. The project runs from June 2023 to December 2025.