Three and a half years into the ASCEND project, many of our cities are seeing the results of work that started as plans, concepts and partnerships. Buildings are being renovated, solar panels installed, energy communities launched and new districts designed.
When ASCEND launched, the challenge seemed straightforward. Cities would design and deliver Positive Clean Energy Districts - neighbourhoods capable of producing more renewable energy than they consume while improving quality of life for residents.
One of the most interesting discussions at ASCEND's General Assembly in Prague focused on - what is actually changing on the ground? The answers revealed fourteen very different solutions, but they all addressed a common challenge.
Cities are facing remarkably similar challenges. How do you decide which solutions are worth investing in? How do you measure success? How do you choose between competing priorities? How do you build a convincing business case?
As Positive Clean Energy Districts move from demonstration projects towards wider deployment, financing is becoming one of the most important questions facing cities.
On 2 June 2026, representatives of Czech municipalities, metropolitan areas and European organisations gathered at the URBIS Smart Cities Fair in Brno for the Czech Cities Alliance Network (CAN) meeting, organised within the fram
The Driving Urban Transitions Partnership has announced that its upcoming DUT Call 2026 will place a stronger focus on innovation, implementation and solution uptake across European cities.
The RESPONSE project concluded its final conference in Turku, Finland, bringing together partners, city representatives and stakeholders to exchange lessons on smart and climate-neutral cities.
The ExPEDite project has presented a suite of digital tools designed to support citizen engagement, district planning, energy modelling and decision-making for Positive Energy Districts.
The City of Prague, a Multiplier city of ASCEND, has registered for the 5th cohort (2026–2027) of the NetZeroCities Twinning Learning Programme, a peer-learning initiative bringing together Twin