European cities in Europe’s recovery plan: an historical opportunity for urban transformation?

Abstract

Abstract The EU post-pandemic recovery plan ‘NextGeneration EU’ is set to mobilise close to 750 billion of investments over the next 4 years. Beyond economic recovery, its ambition is to transform Europe’s development model and to align it with the objectives of the European Green Deal. This article provides an overview of the role that European cities have so far played in the design and implementation of such plan. In particular, it describes the actions taken by cities to gain a relevant role in the respective National Recovery and Resilience Plans. The article presents survey data that illustrate the marginal role given so far to cities by national governments. On this basis, it raises questions on the ability of the EU recovery plan to address major implementation challenges and to become a driver for urban transformation.