On 22 October, the STANDOUT partnership gathered in Bajina Bašta, Serbia, for the project’s Final Event – bringing together European learning, local perspectives and practical approaches to outdoor-friendly communities.
After three years of research, exchange and testing, we presented the main results developed through STANDOUT:
- the European Outdoor Cities Framework with 4 pillars, 12 categories and 65 indicators
- the Quick Check as an easy first step for municipalities
- the Stakeholder Ecosystem
- the growing Good Practice Collection
- and the next step: the European Outdoor Cities Network
But the Final Event was not only about frameworks and tools. It was also about seeing how outdoor-friendly development can take shape in very different local contexts.
We heard inspiring examples from inPlaninec / Slovenian Alpine Association, demonstrating how inclusive outdoor activities can be embedded in community life, as well as two perspectives from Serbia: the BioRider project, presented by the Zlatibor Regional Development Agency, connecting participatory planning, active mobility and local development, and the Green Trail in Užice, providing another tangible example of how local infrastructure can create opportunities for outdoor recreation and active mobility.
Different places. Different starting points. Different approaches.
There is no single blueprint for an Outdoor City. What matters is understanding the local context, bringing the right people together and turning ideas into action.
🍂 A special thank you goes to our Serbian project partner Planinarski Klub TARA / Mountaineering Association Tara for the warm invitation, excellent organisation and generous hospitality throughout the Final Event. We greatly appreciated not only the professional setting for our final project exchange, but also the opportunity to experience the beautiful autumn landscape around Bajina Bašta and Tara – a fitting reminder of why access to nature and outdoor experiences matter in the first place.
And the conversation continues
📅 Throughout November, STANDOUT partners will host national webinars across the participating countries to introduce the project results, explore the practical tools and Good Practices, and share how municipalities and organisations can become part of the emerging European Outdoor Cities Network.
Whether you joined us in Serbia or are discovering STANDOUT for the first time, we warmly invite you to join one of the upcoming webinars and take the next step with us.
Upcoming STANDOUT webinars
- 12 November – European Network of Outdoor Sports
- 20 November – Sweden / Länsstyrelsen Västernorrland
- 20 November – Portugal / Câmara Municipal de Viana do Castelo
- 30 November – Czech Republic / Charles University
- 30 November – Germany / Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany, Outdooractive and Technical University of Munich
Follow the STANDOUT and partner channels for dates and registration
🌍 standout.outdoor-sports-network.eu
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
