The Selection Committee meeting took place to review the applications received from cities interested in joining the Twinning Programme. The aim was to select 20 cities based on their alignment with DivAirCity’s objectives and ensure balanced partnerships.
The meeting included relevant Consortium partners and one representative per ecosystem (Aarhus, Bucharest, Castellon, Orvieto, and Potsdam). Each application was presented and discussed in detail. The primary focus was on ensuring that cities have strategies or policies promoting carbon neutrality, social inclusion, and diversity. Following the selection of the 20 cities, the five DivAirCity pilot cities were asked to complete a matchmaking form to indicate their preferences for partnerships. Based on the match-making exercise and the preferences expressed by applicant cities, the DivAirCity Team proposed a distribution of four Twin City for each DivAirCity pilot. These matches were based on shared interests and challenges and on a balanced distribution of European and non-European cities.
Main Lessons Learnt:
- Collaborative and inclusive decision-making processes enhance transparency and buy-in from all stakeholders.
- Matching cities based on mutual interests and challenges ensures more effective and meaningful partnerships.
- The importance of having a structured process for evaluation and approval to facilitate smooth operations.
