Sandyford Business District (SBD) is proud to announce its selection as a partner in the ReCUP ITN Network – REinventing Culture in Urban Places, marking our third successful participation in a European Union-funded initiative. Following the submission of the project proposal in March 2024, the URBACT IV Monitoring Committee approved the RECUP Innovation Transfer Network in the framework of the URBACT IV Programme.

Learn more about the URBACT method here

This project, running from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026 (Programme Reference: 1709798743), has a total budget of €550.000, including €382.527,90 in ERDF funding. It builds upon the achievements of Újbuda’s UIA CUP 4 CREATIVITY initiative. By integrating culture and creativity into urban planning, the ReCUP initiative aims to transform urban spaces into vibrant, interconnected communities that drive social and economic growth.

The project, is designed to address the challenges of social isolation and fragmented communities, which were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ReCUP ITN Network is a collaborative effort among diverse European cities. As a project partner, Sandyford Business District will contribute to the strategic integration of culture and creativity into urban development, shaping positive change both locally and internationally. This initiative further underscores SBD’s commitment to building a sustainable and vibrant community ecosystem, aligning with the EU’s goals for urban development.

Participating Partners

• Lead Partner: Újbuda (Hungary)
• Dubrovnik Development Agency (DURA), Croatia
• Bielsko-Biala Municipality, Poland
• Mancomunidad de l’Horta Nord, Spain
• Amersfoort, Netherlands
• Sandyford Business District (SBD), Ireland

Key Objectives of the ReCUP Project

1. Rebuild Connected Communities: Leverage cultural assets to create sustainable, interconnected urban environments across Europe.
2. Empower Local Partners: Facilitate knowledge exchange and foster collaboration between cities, enriching local expertise.
3. Promote Cultural Ecosystems: Utilize culture and creativity to drive economic, social, and territorial growth.
4. Address Post-Pandemic Challenges: Revitalize local communities and restore social connections impacted by the pandemic.
5. Foster Economic and Social Growth: Enhance residents’ well-being, strengthen social ties, and improve living standards through innovative cultural strategies.

Partners

Working Group Meetings

1st Core Network Meeting and Deep Dive Study Visit Újbuda - Budapest, Hungary.

On November 5-6, 2024, Sandyford Business District’s Project Manager participated in the 1st Core Network Meeting and Deep Dive Study Visit of the URBACT REinventing Culture in Urban Places project, held in Újbuda (Budapest XI) Budapest, Hungary. Led by Máté Ábrahám and Elisa Filippi, the event explored the dynamic intersection of creativity, art, and technology in driving cultural co-creation processes.

This inspiring gathering provided valuable insights into how URBACT principles can be integrated into the REinventing Culture in Urban Places (ReCUP) journey and tailored to our district’s unique context. It was a privilege to connect with our project partners, including Luna Polić Barović, Anne Arendsen, Andreu Garrido, Kinga Czernek, Levente Polyak, Sandra Barth-Oosting, and Anna Szemes, fostering a strong collaborative network.

A highlight of the event was a design-thinking workshop led by Rita Szerencsés, which focused on identifying local challenges, mapping stakeholder needs, and planning actionable next steps. A key takeaway was the importance of forming a dedicated URBACT Local Group to work alongside Sandyford Business District throughout this transformative project.

The journey continues with our next local workshop on December 2, where the SBD team, including Ger Corbett, Vincent Murray, and Niamh Egan, will kickstart stakeholder mapping and explore how to adapt the URBACT method to our district’s goals.

If you live or work in Sandyford and want to learn more or get involved, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out at fernanda@sandyford.ie.

It’s an exciting time as we explore innovative ways to transform urban spaces and strengthen community engagement.

URBACT Insight: Lead Expert and Lead Partner Explore Sandyford Business District

On January 22, a delegation from URBACT, including Lead Partner Mate Abraham from the Municipality of Ujbuda in Budapest, Lead Expert Elisa Filippi, and National URBACT Point of Contact Karl Murphy, visited Sandyford Business District (SBD) as part of the ReCUP ITN Network project. We were also joined by An Leas-Chathaoirleach, Cllr Kazi Ahmed, and Cllr Oisín O’Connor, with An Cathaoirleach, Cllr Jim O’Leary, delivering an opening address via video link.

The visit began with a political leadership meeting with local council representatives, focusing on the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Corporate Plan 2025-2029, community engagement, social inclusion, and the district’s demographic profile. The delegation also explored SBD’s growth potential and challenges, including the need for a community center and efforts to enhance cultural diversity. A key highlight was a tour of the district, including locations such as Beacon South Quarter, Dynamic Space and Naomh Olaf GAA Club, offering valuable insights into the area’s infrastructure. This visit marks the conclusion of the “Adapt” phase of the project, with the next step being the formation of the URBACT Local Group to drive the project forward.

First ULG Meeting

Today, Sandyford Business District hosted its first ULG (Urban Local Group) meeting as part of the exciting URBACT project, Reinventing Culture in Urban Places, where we are proud to be one of the project partners. The aim of this project is to drive innovation and collaboration within urban spaces, connect communities, and our local URBACT group will play a central role in achieving these goals.

The URBACT Local Group (ULG) is an important part of the project, working closely with us on co-designing the project, making collective decisions, and ensuring that the outcomes lead to a sustainable investment and continuity plan after the project’s completion.

The ULG is composed of key stakeholders from various sectors within Sandyford Business District, including:

• Councillor Pierce Dargan, Fine Gael Party
• Councillor Lettie McCartly, Labour Party
• Councillor Oisin O’Connor, Green Party
• John Somers, SBD Board of Director Member and Chairman of Naomh Olaf GAA Club
• Vincent Murray, Operations Manager, SBD
• Leo McBride, CEO of Digital X
• Michelle Duffy, Marketing Manager, Leopardstown Racecourse

The meeting was facilitated by Fernanda Pinto Godoy, SBD EU Project Manager, who guided the discussions and ensured a productive and engaging session. The meeting began with a warm introduction session and an icebreaker, helping everyone get to know each other better. We were then joined by Karl Murphy, the National URBACT point of contact in Ireland, who gave an insightful overview of the URBACT project from a European perspective.

Afterwards, we delved into the specifics of Sandyford Business District, exploring the local context, analysing demographics and personas, and identifying key challenges and goals for the project. We also discussed the project roadmap, expected outcomes, and outlined the next steps for our collaboration.

We are incredibly excited to begin working alongside such a talented and diverse group to create a vibrant, connected community in Sandyford Business District.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey with this impactful European project!

ITN Networks Meeting - Adapt Stage

From April 28–30, 2025, Sandyford Business District proudly participated in the URBACT Innovation Transfer Network (ITN) Meeting in Paris, marking the beginning of the Adapt Stage of this ambitious European project.

Represented by our CEO, Ger Corbett, and Project Manager, Fernanda Pinto Godoy, SBD spent three dynamic and inspiring days alongside partner cities from across Europe and other ITN Networks. Together, we explored how proven urban innovations can be meaningfully adapted to our local contexts, with a particular focus on developing strong investment and continuity strategies.

For Sandyford Business District, this work is deeply rooted in a clear local mission: to mitigate the risks of digital isolation and address the emergence of parallel societies by fostering cultural inclusion and deeper community connection. In a thriving business district like ours, it’s vital that growth is matched by social cohesion—that everyone feels part of the same shared space, physically, digitally, and culturally.

With the support from the URBACT Secretariat, we presented our main challenges and outlined our local action plan, which will guide the testing of new ideas and approaches here in Sandyford.

Looking ahead, we are excited to meet with our Urban Local Group (ULG) later this month to begin shaping the next steps. This collaborative effort will lay the foundation for launching our action plan and building a more vibrant, inclusive, and connected community.

It was a pleasure to exchange insights and strategies with our European partners in Paris, and we look forward to continuing this work together at our upcoming Core Network Meeting in Valencia, Spain, from May 13–15.

Stay tuned as we move from planning to action—building not just a smarter district, but a stronger, more inclusive one

Second Core Network Meeting: Mancomunitat L’Horta Nord, Spain

From May 13–15, we had the chance to join the second core meeting of our URBACT project, hosted by Mancomunitat d’Horta Nord in Valencia, Spain. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with partner cities and our lead expert, and to dive deeper as we start the next stage of the project.

The visit gave us valuable insight into the local context, challenges, and cultural heritage of our Spanish partners. A big focus of the meeting was on how to better engage communities through participatory governance — we explored good practices, took part in group exercises, and shared experiences from across the network.

We also went on a study visit and spoke with several local stakeholders, which gave us a grounded view of how things are working on the ground. One of the most inspiring sessions looked at climate-adaptive approaches in urban regeneration and cultural projects. We heard from Mar Gaitán, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valencia and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, and Miguel Berbis, a composer, teacher, and artistic director of Ensemble d’Arts. Their insights on the links between climate resilience, heritage, creativity and the arts sparked some great discussions.

As part of the visit, three representatives from the RECUP team participated in a local literature encounter in Rafelbunyol. During the event, our project manager Fernanda read a passage from Eva Luna by Chilean author Isabel Allende — a fantastic opportunity that helped shed light on the value of diversity and allowed us to connect with the local community.

SBD is looking forward to continuing this journey and to welcoming everyone for the next core meeting here in November 2025.