Science communication at the urban level has been in the spotlight in the very last years and thanks to European projects, building partnerships at the local level is becoming more widespread. At the same time experiences developed in some national contexts – i.e. in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands – are solid examples to follow and emulate. This session will focus on the following points: • which actions to develop at an European level in perspective of the new 2014-2020 programmes? • can coordinated action at local level help us respond more adequately to the economic and financial crisis affecting countries and impacting our institutions? • to what extent can the construction of local networks and the resulting dialogue with different stakeholders change our visions and practice?