It is noteworthy that the series of Local Development Forum seminars – with a focus on internal potentials key to the development of small and medium-sized cities – is delivered as part of the “Local Development” Programme implemented by the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy within the framework of the 3r edition of Norway and European Economic Area Grants.

The (first) opening seminar was held on 2 and 3 April 2020, “Demographic Challenges vs. Endogenic Development Potential” its pivotal theme. Over 20 successive meetings, representatives of cities and towns, members of the academe, experts and non-governmental organisation activists debated economic development, digital transformation, housing, urban finance, family businesses, local government partnerships, local development support tools, the Green Deal and water management, air protection, the Public-Private Partnership scheme, energy transformation, waste management, National Urban Policy, and strategic urban planning.

Last year, the Association launched a bespoke project website – www.Forum-Rozwoju-Lokalnego.pl.

From the day the website went live, i.e. since 26 October 2020:

• The website was visited by over 4,600 users who viewed 17,900 pages.
• 71 updates were published on the Local Development Forum website.
• 145 good urban practices, ready-made solutions, implementations and solutions were presented in fields of digital transformation, natural environment, closed-loop economy, territorial marketing, municipal economy, and many others.
• 176 “Expert View” publications were posted – guidelines, analyses, conclusions and inspirations serving municipal and partner purposes.
• 8 column essays were published by Association of Polish Cities experts.

In addition, we posted 57 updates regarding Local Development Forum seminars on the Association of Polish Cities online information service (www.miasta.pl) – seminar invitations, seminar accounts and footage, and materials and presentations made available by speakers.

Minutiae

• 20 online seminars
• 14 months
• 6,000 participants (Facebook + ClickMeeting)
• 75 hours of practical knowledge, urban inspirations and good practices
• 6 workshop days for representatives of cities and towns

Cities and towns who have been with us from day one:
17 times: Ełk, Hrubieszów, Nisko, Wałbrzych
16 times: Augustów, Jarosław, Tomaszów Mazowiecki
15 times: Jasło, Piastów, Świdwin, Zabrze, Włocławek, Tarnów, Stalowa Wola, Przemyśl, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Nakło on Noteć, Legnica, Konin, Cieszyn, Biłgoraj.