The city of Krakow has been the first to organise this convention outside Brussels, where the first four editions had been held so far. Representatives of municipalities from eleven countries met to share best practices on 20-21 March.
The theme of this year’s edition was ‘Green for families – strengthening social capital and ecology and sustainable development’. Participants discussed the role of green spaces in improving the quality of life of families, urban planning for social inclusion and pro-ecological initiatives. The event was an opportunity to exchange experiences, hold round tables and promote good practices in the field of family support.
On the first day of the convention, a conference was held at the Krzysztofory Palace on Krakow’s main square, during which speakers shared good practices on the topic of family-friendly spaces and the environment.
Marzena Paszkot, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Kraków for Family Affairs, introduced the convention and the co-organization of the City of Krakow, the first time in the Network’s series of conventions to be held outside Brussels.
Krakow has consistently developed a family-friendly policy
‘We are very pleased that this first out-of-town convention will be held in Krakow, it is a great honour for us. Here we will be able to discuss family support initiatives and share experiences in this field. Krakow has much to be proud of, both in terms of family care and in the area of green care. Today’s presentation will be on this topic, so it is worth mentioning that Krakow has made a giant leap forward in this area over the years. We are currently updating the strategy and guidelines for the development of green areas and we will work even harder to take care of this greenery, so that families, but also everyone, can live better and better’ – said the Mayor of Krakow, Aleksander Miszalski, during the opening of the convention.
Krakow is one of the leaders in this field; since 2015, the city has almost doubled the number of parks and green spaces, while revitalising existing spaces. Over the years, Krakow has consistently developed a family-friendly policy, offering broad access to educational institutions and support programmes. The Krakow 3+ Family Card programme is being implemented, which allows for discounts in municipal and private institutions (in 2024, it covered more than 6,000 families). Educational campaigns are also organised, as well as the plebiscite ‘Child-friendly place for families with children’, in addition to the activities of clubs for parents with children up to 3 years old, including clubs for children with special needs.
Also speaking at the opening were Monika Kolasa, Plenipotentiary of the Malopolska Voivode for Family Affairs; Regina Maroncelli, coordinator of the Network; Radek Waszkiewicz, President of ELFAC, the European confederation of large families, and of the Polish association of large families; and Olgierd Geblewicz, Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and President of the West Pomeranian Region (Poland).
President of ELFAC Radosław Waszkiewicz, shared his experience in the field of pro-family policy and the role of large families in creating sustainable and welcoming spaces. His words were a reminder of how important it is to take into account the needs of families, especially those with many children, in urban planning.
Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean and responsible for the implementation of the European Commission’s Demography Toolbox, also addressed the participants in a video message.
Raul Sanchez, secretary general of ELFAC, was in charge to moderate the convention and present the speakers.
New municipalities received their diplomas
Seven new municipalities joining the network this year received their diplomas: three are from Spain, from the region of Extremadura: Badajoz, Cáceres and Lobón; Riga, the capital of Latvia, and three from Poland: Wadowice, Inowłódz and Żyrardów.
In the panel of experts, prof. Fabrizio Coricelli, from the Department of Political Science and International at the University of Siena (Italy), talked on ‘Social capital, relationships that strengthen local communities’. And three speakers from Krakow: Jarosław Tabor, Deputy Director of Kraków Municipal Greenspace Authority, prof. Magdalena Frączek, from the University of Agriculture in Kraków, and Marzena Paszkot, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow for Family Affairs, showed the excellent work done in the city of Krakow to be really a very green and family-friendly city. Mercedes Hernandez, responsible of international relations from Masfamilia Foundation (Spain), closed the panel talking on how companies contribute to a family-friendly environment.
Best practices
After the lunch, a workshop on best practices took place. As a introduction, Regina Maroncelli, coordinator of the Network and vice president of ELFAC, presented ‘The Krakow’s Charter’, a new regulation of the Network to include companies and to reflect the values promoted in their activities. And Luciano Malfer, from Bruno Kessler Foundation (Trento, Italy) told the participants how to make an environmentally and family-friendly strategic plan.
After that, best practices from local and national policies from Hungary, Riga (Latvia), Extremadura (Spain), Albergaria-a-Velha and Monçao (Portugal), Włocławek (Poland) and Alghero and the company Plastik Spa (Italy), were presented.
Study visits
The second day was dedicated to study visits, presenting family-friendly initiatives that support the building of a green Krakow. One was an educational end ecological center in the Krakow’s forrest, called “Symbioza”. The second visit was to a modern family housing estate in Kraków, as an example of cooperation between the local government, NGOs and businesses/ entrepreneurs in order to create comprehensive family-friendly conditions.
You can see below the presentations, the photo album, and the 3 videos of the recorded conference.
You can access from this link to all the presentations.