Jakobstad, Finland, is working with the Dutch city of Breda to improve housing approaches and strengthen integration and participation. Within the European Urban Initiative (EUI) City-to-City Exchanges project, Jakobstad is the applicant city and Breda is the peer city. Representatives from Breda are visiting Jakobstad on 9–11 November 2026.

The exchange focuses on the relationship between housing and residential segregation. It aims to build a shared understanding of Jakobstad’s challenges and identify how the city can support balanced neighbourhood development and residents’ opportunities to participate in community life. The programme also explores the links between housing, employment, integration and children’s opportunities.

In Breda, just under 30 per cent of residents have a migrant background, and Jakobstad has much to learn from Breda’s experiences. Helping people find employment is a key part of strengthening integration and participation. It is also particularly important that all residents feel at home in all parts of the city.

The three-day programme includes expert discussions, a town tour, a closer look at the eastern neighborhoods and rental housing, and a visit to Länsinummi school. Joint workshops allow the cities to compare experiences, identify strengths and areas for development, and set priorities for Jakobstad’s next steps.

The first visit is not intended to produce final decisions on solutions. Its purpose is to understand the local context and lay the groundwork for Jakobstad’s action plan. The aim is to clarify the key challenges, identify the tools available to the city and prepare questions for the subsequent visit to Breda. That visit will focus on Breda’s approaches and their potential application in Jakobstad.

Learning goes both ways. Jakobstad gains an outside perspective and insights from Breda to support its development work. In turn, Breda can draw on Jakobstad’s experiences in housing and integration to inform its own Verbeter Breda programme.

EUI City-to-City Exchanges supports peer learning among European cities facing sustainable urban development challenges. Through their cooperation, Jakobstad and Breda aim to identify approaches suited to local conditions and strengthen their capacity to address these challenges.

Representatives from Jakobstad will make a return visit to Breda in spring 2027.

Further information:
Milla Kallioinen
Director of Administration
milla.kallioinen@jakobstad.fi, Tel. +358 44 785 1651