Download the PDF of the agenda here.
Welcoming words from Danijela Dolenec, Deputy Mayor of Zagreb
This keynote will set the stage for the event by examining the structural and institutional challenges shaping social service delivery in Central and Eastern European cities. Drawing on research and experience from Croatia, Professor Dobrotić will explore key issues such as the uneven availability, affordability, and quality of services, the fragmented competences and limited coordination between national and local systems, and the impact of partial decentralisation and fiscal constraints on municipal capacity. The address will also touch on workforce shortages and the pressures of developing new services with limited resources. Finally, it will open a broader reflection on how cities can move towards more sustainable, integrated, and people-centred social services.
Speaker:
- Dr Ivana Dobrotić, Professor of Comparative Social Policy at the University of Zagreb, Associate Member of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford
An interactive opening to help participants connect, share their backgrounds, and exchange expectations for the event. Through a short icebreaker and group discussion, we will identify common challenges and learning goals to guide the discussions over the next two days.
Cities face tough choices when competing priorities strain municipal budgets. This panel will explore how local leaders can influence budget decisions, mobilise external funding from EU programmes, foundations and national budgets, and spend limited resources more effectively. Speakers will share practical ways to make the case for social investment and strengthen partnerships that sustain inclusive social policies.
Speakers:
- Marina Škrabalo, Member of the Social Welfare Council, Zagreb
- Orsolya Kisgyörgy, Project manager, Budapest
This workshop presents Zagreb’s Centre for Integration, an EU-funded initiative aimed at harmonising community-based social services and providing tailored, mentorship-based support for vulnerable groups. Zagreb will share practical challenges faced during implementation — including intersectoral coordination, cooperation between NGOs and institutions, addressing diverse user needs, and navigating national–local governance. The session will also raise broader questions about the long-term sustainability of EU-funded projects and explore how the model’s key elements could be transferred to other cities.
This workshop invites participants to explore how cities can design and deliver public services that truly reflect the needs of the people who use them. Drawing on insights from the recent City-to-City exchange between Tallinn and Prague, the session will highlight practical methods for integrating user-centric design, cross-department collaboration, and innovative participatory approaches into everyday municipal work. Participants will take part in an interactive boardgame exercise that helps translate these principles into concrete steps adapted to their own city contexts. The workshop will also introduce the EUI City-to-City Exchange funding opportunity, which can support cities in developing and financing their own peer-learning activities and collaborative projects.
Learning Labs are designed to equip city officials with practical skills, new insights, and actionable strategies to tackle urban challenges. These sessions provide a collaborative space where participants can exchange ideas, explore best practices, and engage with experts in key policy areas.
Speakers
- Zrinka Sajn, Financial Officer, European Urban Initiative
- Ott Oja, Child mental health expert, Tallinn
- Mariliis Niinemägi, Project manager, Tallinn,
- Anna Wehrenberg, Specialist, Prague
The 1-hour optional walking tour through the historic center of Zagreb begins at Ban Jelačić Square, its lively heart. From the square, we will take Radićeva Street, a historic corridor linking the city’s lower and upper levels. We then ascend into Gornji grad (Upper Town), the medieval core of Zagreb whose narrow lanes and fortified layout contrast with the planned, elegant 19th-century architecture of Donji grad (Lower Town) that later expanded around it. At its center, we will encounter the iconic St. Mark’s Church and its square with the most important political institutions of Croatia - the Zagreb City Council, the Croatian Parliament, and the Government—adding a layer of civic significance to this historic site. Finally, the tour will take us back to Ban Jelačić Square, completing a loop through the layers of Zagreb’s urban and historical development.
The guided tour will end in front of the restaurant where the official dinner will be held.
Mali dom Zagreb is a day care centre that provides highly specialised and comprehensive services to children with visual impairments and multiple disabilities in a stimulating and positive environment. The centre aims to encourage each child to develop their potential fully, achieve greater independence, and build a sense of self-realisation. Around one hundred children with visual impairments and additional developmental difficulties take part in Mali dom’s regular programmes and activities, while a further 300 children participate annually in the institution’s transdisciplinary assessment and counselling programme.
Meeting point (8.30): Centre for Culture and Information Maksimir, Lavoslava Svarca 18, 10000, Zagreb. You will be transported to the site visit from there.
This tour is led by Mile Mrvalj, a former homeless person and activist, together with the NGO Fajter, which supports people experiencing homelessness through a street magazine and socially beneficial projects. Based on Mrvalj’s awareness-raising initiative Invisible Zagreb, the tour offers an honest look at life on the streets and helps make the city’s “invisible” homeless population seen and understood. Since launching in 2018, it has grown into a recognised social impact tourism project supported by the Zagreb Tourist Board, engaging mostly local participants and helping to challenge stigma and promote empathy. The initiative has been awarded by the Croatian Association of Social Workers and National Geographic. At the start of the guided tour, we will visit one of the three soup kitchens operated by the Dobri dom Institution of the City of Zagreb. These kitchens provide homeless individuals and other socially vulnerable citizens with access to their right to food. Every day, meals are prepared and distributed on-site, ensuring that lunch is available to those in need. Following the tour, the City of Zagreb will give a brief presentation on its services and support systems for people experiencing homelessness.
Meeting point (at 8.45): tram station at the entrance of the Branimir Mingle Mall (Ulica kneza Branimira 29)
This session will focus on improving equitable access to social services for all citizens, regardless of income, location, or background. Participants will exchange experiences on how cities can enhance outreach and visibility of services – including the use of digital tools, communication campaigns, and local community networks. The discussion will also cover removing practical barriers to access, such as mobility challenges, administrative complexity, or limited awareness, and explore how cross-departmental coordination and user-friendly service design can make support easier to reach and navigate.
Speaker:
- György Molnár, Researcher, ELTE Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Minority Studies and Senior Advisor, 8th District of Budapest
A Eurocities-led discussion on the distinct political, socio-economic, and financial context of Central and Eastern European cities, exploring how these factors shape their participation in EU-level advocacy and knowledge exchange.
Reflections, take aways
Closing remarks by Lora Vidovic, Head of the Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, Zagreb