The reports of the death of European town twinning (aka sister cities) have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, town twinning is thriving.
I was a guest at the launch of a new website last week: www.twinning.org, which is a terrific example of the work happening in Europe. The site is a verison of our "Cities Seeking Cities" database but flashier! For the American cities who see a quick opportunity, its focus is Europe-Europe or Europe-South not transatlantic (at the moment). I found it a terrific signal that the European Union supported Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in this effort. A special nod to Patrizio Fiorilli, their web-brain behind the endeavor, who made it very accessible, simple navigation, AND it's available in more than 20 languages. (I'd challenge someone to find another website with this type of language depth that can be instantly translated into so many languages. Email me if you find one.)
The website is hosted by the CEMR - the mothership for national organizations that oversee town twinning in each country. Did you know there are over 17,000 sister cities within Europe and Europe outward?
Check out their new website - it's a great addition to the sister city movement.
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