Braga Delegates Visit St. John’s

Today, the City of St. John’s will host three delegates from the City of Braga, Portugal, until June 22. This study visit is part of the European Union's International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) program in North America. IURC is the world's largest city-to-city cooperation program and an international network of reference for urban innovation and sustainable urban development.

“The City of St. John’s is pleased to have been accepted to this EU program,” says Mayor Danny Breen. “It offers opportunities for us to connect, learn and exchange with other cities internationally and specifically the paired city of Braga, Portugal.”

St. John’s and Braga have opened their doors to dialogue and partner with new global peers, draw upon a wider pool of good practices and receive support in identifying innovative models to achieve their goals. The two cities started cooperating in September 2021, participating in several technical calls, and now conducting the first study visit to work on the following thematic areas:

• Sustainable urban mobility and transportation including electric mobility
• Tourism and culture, incorporating sustainable and local development
• Education, jobs, skills, innovation and technology
• Renovation wave - energy efficiency in buildings 

Braga will subsequently host St. John’s later in 2022. The cities will continue cooperating until December 2023, developing an Urban Cooperation Action plan which will show concrete progress and impact.

About IURC North America
The European Union's IURC North America program partners European cities with Canadian and USA cities to facilitate knowledge exchange through online tools and face-to-face support such as study visits, participation in thematic and networking events, and capacity building. The program is financed under the EU Partnership Instrument and benefits from the strategic support of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission.

Learn more about IURC NA online or contact by email, info-na@iurc.eu.