You will find information on this page about

• General information about the call
• Who you should apply
• Why you should apply
• How to apply
• Expectations and responsibilities
• Budget
• Selection process

Become an expert

The Living Spaces consortium (Eurocities and the Architects’ Council of Europe) is creating a pool of experts to provide specific support for peer-learning visits on high-quality architecture and built environment organised in the frame of Living Spaces - cities and regions shaping the built environment for everyone.

If you are an expert in quality, sustainable and inclusive built environment with experience working for local and regional authorities, this is an opportunity to share your expertise with peers and colleagues from local administrations and to contribute to the advancement of quality architecture and living environments in cities and regions. All you need to do is fill out the form (link below) with your information and motivation to participate.

Living Spaces offers a unique opportunity to help cities, regions and stakeholders build expertise on planning and implementing, high-quality architectural policies and projects by networking and exchanging experience.
We are looking for experts to join one or more peer-learning visits. It might be you!

12 Peer-learning visits

Peer-learning visits are opportunities for experts, decision makers and stakeholders to visit another city/region and see first-hand how it has successfully implemented policies and projects that have been identified following a call for good practices. Visits will be organised by host cities/regions in cooperation with the Living Spaces team.

The 12 onsite peer-learning visits will take place from February to October 2024. The calendar and locations will be available by mid- December 2023.

The focus of the peer learning visits will be on architecture and the built environment, and they will address various cross-cutting topics such as climate change, social equality, sustainable development, housing, public and open spaces, mobility etc.

Peer-learning visits will be organised by host cities/regions in cooperation with the Living Spaces team. 20 participants for each visit will be selected through calls for participation.

Living Spaces peer-learning visits are accessible and safe places for participants to express their views and share difficulties they may face in their daily jobs. A code of conduct for peer-learning visit participants will help to ensure that everyone feels comfortable in the group.

Who should apply

The Living Spaces consortium is looking for motivated professionals working in architecture and/or the built environment, with experience of working with local and/or regional authorities. This includes experienced architects, designers, civil engineers, urban planners and sustainability experts who can share insights into innovative design and planning strategies, and/or contribute with knowledge on environmentally friendly practices, from the design stage to the technical implementation.

We welcome applications from independent experts, private architectural / urban planning firms, consultancies, the public sector (including local and regional administrations), international and nonprofit organisations, environmental and sustainability organisations, cultural institutions and academia.

Selected external experts should have at least 5 years of substantial professional practice and extensive experience in architectural policies, and/or urban planning and urban/regional development as well as coaching, facilitation, moderation, and audience engagement methods.

Expert applications from countries represented in the catalogue of good practices are encouraged to provide additional knowledge and experience about the national and local context (knowledge of the local language is also appreciated).
Please note that the application is nominative and cannot be made on behalf of a group.

Why you should apply

By joining Living Spaces’ peer-learning visits as experts, architecture and built environment professionals will foster a collaborative learning environment, share their expertise with peers and colleagues from local administrations, and contribute to the advancement of quality architecture and living environments in cities and regions. Engaging in knowledge exchange during the peer learning visits will not only benefit the participants but can also provide experts with fresh insights and exposure to diverse perspectives and practices within the architecture and urbanism fields.

Joining the Living Spaces team as an expert will also provide the opportunity to enhance a professional network at local, regional and European levels, and foster collaborations and future opportunities.

How to apply

Submit your application to the Living Spaces team online (link below).
The deadline for submitting is 18 December 2023 (before midnight Central European Time). If you have any questions, contact us by email.

Expectations and responsibilities

Selected experts will provide expertise before, during and after the thematic peer-learning visit. This includes the following tasks:

Before the visit

• get familiar with the specific good practice and local context
• get familiar with the peer-learning visit code of conduct
• attend the online kick-off meeting of the visit with the host and the project team
• work together with the host city/region and Living Spaces consortium to finalise the programme of the visit
• contribute to the preparation of the issue paper that will be sent to participants prior to the visit
• prepare a moderation plan for the peer-learning visit

During the visit

• prepare and facilitate discussions (moderating, brokerage, and wrap-up), foster participative approaches
• act as facilitators, as ‘critical friends’ to ensure that new ideas emerged through a positive dialogue
• ensure the peer-learning code of conduct is respected
• provide insights on specific topics (to be determined for each visit), bring practical knowledge about these topics
• bring expertise during discussions and complement local examples presented with external insights
• provide individual advice to participants who have specific knowledge needs or issues to tackle in their city/region
• co-organise breakout sessions for participants to focus on specific issues and develop solutions
• chair a concluding session allowing participants to share their main learning points

After the visit

• prepare to an analytical document (about 10 pages) summarising the discussions and lessons learnt during the visit. The objective is to develop practical tool for cities and regions, with concrete recommendations and lessons learnt. All reports will be sent to participants and published on the Culture and Creativity website of the European Commission, along with all presentations and all written material related to the visits within 2 to 3 weeks after the visit
• participate in an online feedback meeting with the host city/region (organised by the Living Spaces consortium) within one month after the visit
• contribute to dissemination of information about the visit and its results
• one expert can support more than one visit according to their availability and the specific knowledge needs of host cities and regions

Budget 

Experts are entitled to a payment of a fixed price of 750.00 EUR (VAT excluded) in the form of a lump sum for each full working day spent assisting the Living Spaces project, i.e., for attending the meetings or taking part in the visits or for the preparatory work.

Travel and accommodation for peer learning visits shall be arranged by Living Spaces.

Selection process   

External experts will be selected based on their knowledge of the topics covered in the peer-learning scheme and on their experience in working with local and regional governments.

Responses to the call will be selected against the following criteria:

• general quality of the response and attention paid to the application
• relevance of the provided CV
• relevance of the professional experience
• previous experience in peer learning programmes and workshop facilitation
• Ability to present and capture knowledge in an engaging way
• gender balance
• geographical balance and knowledge of different European contexts
• full working proficiency in English (speaking and writing)

The final selection of the pool of experts will be validated by the European Commission as funder of the Living Spaces project.