From Small to Large: Best Practices for Local Sustainable Solutions

The Smart Cities Marketplace has released its final publication, From Small to Large: Best Practices for Local Sustainable Solutions, bringing together key lessons from its work supporting cities across Europe.

The publication explores how local authorities can move from planning to implementation by turning climate and energy strategies into concrete, investment-ready projects. It highlights the importance of technical assistance, partnerships and access to finance in helping cities overcome the gap between ambition and delivery.

Drawing on the Smart Cities Marketplace experience, the report shows that many barriers faced by cities are not linked to technology itself, but to project development capacity, financial structuring and access to investment. Between 2018 and early 2025, the initiative supported 144 projects with a combined investment value of approximately €1.4 billion, covering areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable mobility and digital solutions.

With a strong focus on small and medium-sized cities, the publication underlines the value of tailored support, project aggregation and collaboration with investors. It shows how cities with limited resources can still play an active role in Europe’s energy transition when they have access to the right expertise, partnerships and financing pathways.