About us
Exchanging futureproof solutions on urban and regional issues among European cities
Platform31 is a Dutch knowledge and network organisation that mostly operates on national, regional, and local levels – and collaborations between those. It brings together public officials, policymakers, professionals, citizens and businesses to find solutions to complex urban and regional issues. Our aim is to build an inclusive and sustainable society with affordable homes in suitable environments, innovative governance and an economy that supports a good quality of life.
We organize events and the exchange of knowledge, practices and lessons learned. And we produce publications, research reports, guidelines and tools. By connecting research, policymaking and daily practice we provide network partners with valuable feedback for shaping futureproof policies, strategies, regulations, approaches and solutions.
Housing and spatial planning
We work to create a living environment that is affordable and meets the needs of individuals and society as a whole.
Housing and spatial planning
We work to create a living environment that is affordable and meets the needs of individuals and society as a whole.
Many places face multiple problems and challenges, compounded by economic uncertainty. They need solutions that deliver physical interventions through a people-centred approach. Our efforts are geared to speeding up the delivery of new homes, area transformations and sustainability, making better use of existing buildings, and reducing disparities in liveability between neighbourhoods, cities and regions.
Social inclusion and liveability
Our aim is a society where everyone can participate, emphasising security, a decent standard of living and equal opportunities.
Sustainable development
We facilitate development towards a sustainable environment that involves everyone.
Sustainable development
We facilitate development towards a sustainable environment that involves everyone.
We are approaching critical tipping points in climate change, biodiversity loss and resource use. The technically and socially complex solutions that are needed cannot be provided by step-by-step action; we have to scale up. We advocate for an integrated vision, strategy and concrete ideas for greening public spaces, climate adaptation, circularity and the energy transition.
Economy and social security
We strive for a green economy in which government authorities and businesses collaborate on innovation and opportunities for all.
European initiatives
International knowledge exchange among cities is crucial for taking on the challenges they face in the coming years. Besides conducting projects on a national scale, Platform31 actively contributes to knowledge development and dissemination in Europe, focusing on complex issues related to sustainable urban and regional development.
By bringing together professionals we link knowledge and experiences from across Europe and transfer these to the Netherlands. We also showcase and transfer Dutch knowledge and practices to other European countries and the EU. Currently, Platform31 is taking part in four major initiatives:
- Driving Urban Transitions
- URBACT
- European Urban Initiative
- EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities
Driving Urban Transitions
Since its launch in 2022, the European partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) promotes and supports the push for sustainable cities and communities throughout Europe. It does so by funding research projects on three themes: the 15-minute city, circular urban economy and Positive Energy Districts. The research is meant to help realize the ambition of the European Commission to make Europe’s economies and living environments carbon-neutral by the year 2050.
28 countries from Europe and beyond, as well as the European Commission, are involved with DUT. Together with the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relationships, Platform31 contributes to the partnership by supporting the development of research calls and dissemination of research results.
More information on the DUT partnershipContact
URBACT
URBACT helps cities to develop an integrated set of actions for sustainable change. This European programme provides opportunities for cities from all over the continent to meet and learn from each other. It aims to promote the cooperation of different layers of local governments and stakeholders within and between countries (vertical integration). The URBACT method focuses on empowering local initiatives and supports those with elaborate exchange of know-how and expertise, by bringing together e.g. environmental, economic and social dimensions (horizontal integration).
Platform31 acts as the national contact point of URBACT (National URBACT Point – NUP) for Dutch cities and towns. We promote the programme which invites Dutch municipalities to improve their development towards sustainability by engaging in European knowledge exchange. Ever since the first call in 2002, more than 150 consortia of cities have come into existence with the goal to induce networking, capacity building and knowledge exchange across borders.
More information about the URBACT programmeContact
European Urban Initiative
Besides being National URBACT Point for the Netherlands, Platform31 is also the Urban Contact Point (UCP) of the European Urban Initiative (EUI). Whereas URBACT is focused on jointly developing good practices, actions and solutions in European cities, EUI supports European cities to come up with innovative solutions for various challenges, which can at a later stage be disseminated, for instance through the URBACT network.
Platform31 works to promote EUI among Dutch cities and provides support in their journey from signing up for calls to carrying out their projects and eventually sharing them with colleagues in other European countries. Our direct connection to URBACT in this regard ensures that the coordination of contacts and implementation of ideas from EUI to other cities runs smoothly and efficiently. This is in line with Platform31’s philosophy of bringing together cities and their partners for sustainable urban development.
More information about the European Urban InitiativeContact
EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities
In 2021, the European Commission launched five EU Missions. For the EU Mission “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030” (100CNSC), 7 cities in the Netherlands have been selected as ‘Mission Cities’. The goal of the Mission Cities is to develop Climate City Contracts, where they set out a concrete path of actions that will drive their city towards climate neutrality by 2030. In order to support the Mission Cities, the Netherlands has developed a National Support Structure (NSS) to align the multiple levels of government and agencies to better serve the EU Mission.
Platform31 supports the NSS through the EU project CapaCITIES, a consortium born from the DUT-Partnership. In the NSS, we work closely with the Ministry of the Interior (BZK), the ministry of Infrastructure (IenW) and the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO). Platform31 supports the Dutch Mission Cities by organising deep dive sessions on 3 urgent issues put forward by the Mission Cities: emission free zones, biobased and circular buildings and renovations, and the district-oriented approach to the energy transition. These deep dives are set up to align existing efforts at national and local levels, detect systemic barriers in policies and laws, and promote multilevel governance structures between the national government and Mission Cities. Platform31 also shares these insights at EU Cities Mission events throughout Europe.
More information about CapaCITIES