URDICO - Urban Dimension of Cohesion Policy and other EU Programmes: Florence Study Report

This annex to the URDICO Final Report examines Florence and its engagement with EU Cohesion Policy and related programmes. The case highlights how Florence leverages its status as one of Italy’s 14 metropolitan cities, acting as an Intermediate Body in the National Operational Programmes for Metropolitan Cities (2014–2020 and 2021–2027), while also coordinating with the wider Metropolitan City of Florence, which encompasses 41 municipalities and around one million inhabitants. The study explores the city’s governance framework, which combines strong municipal leadership with complex metropolitan coordination. Florence has institutionalised cross-departmental management of EU projects through its European Projects and Networking Office, ensuring that EU funding supports local priorities in digital transition, sustainable mobility, social inclusion, and urban regeneration. The report also considers the city’s role in political advocacy, both nationally and internationally, through networks such as Eurocities, the Covenant of Mayors, the Green City Accord, and the 100 Climate-Neutral Cities Mission. These activities underscore Florence’s efforts to strengthen the recognition of cities as strategic actors in Cohesion Policy. Florence demonstrates how targeted EU support, combined with active institutional and political engagement, can enhance urban governance, promote strategic priorities, and foster innovation at the city and metropolitan scale.