About 70 percent of central Europeans live in urban regions. Here, local and regional authorities are increasingly challenged by a steady growth of population and an increasing request for space for both economic activities and housing. Actions are therefore needed against urban sprawl that threatens to lead to a reduction of natural and open areas used for recreational purposes. Furthermore, the request for space by investors has to be answered in a satisfying manner despite a lack of suitable areas in the core city. Innovative approaches and solutions are henceforth needed that would require effective and efficient inter-municipal cooperation.The project CITY REGIONS targets its activities on the enhancement and durable institutionalisation of functional cooperation between the municipalities of the urban centre and smaller cities and towns located in the hinterland of transnationally connected urban regions. The project links five urban regions from central Europe, each represented by the local public authority of the core city and also by a partner representing the regional level. Further municipalities of smaller hinterland cities and towns will participate in the project´s activities as associated partners. Achievements: About 70 percent of the population of Central Europe live in urban regions. Here, local and regional authorities are increasingly challenged by a steady growth of population and an increasing request for space for both economic activities and housing. Actions are therefore needed against urban sprawl that threatens to lead to a reduction of natural and open areas used for recreational purposes. Furthermore, the request for space by investors has to be answered in a satisfying manner despite a lack of suitable areas in the core city. Innovative approaches and solutions are henceforth needed that would require effective and efficient inter-municipal cooperation. City Regions targets its activities on the enhancement and durable institutionalisation of functional cooperation between the municipalities of the urban centre and smaller cities and towns located in the hinterland of transnationally connected urban regions. Five urban regions from Central Europe participate in the project - Halle-Leipzig, Wrocław, Graz, Prague and Torino. Each is represented by the local public authority of the core city (in case of Prague by the Prague 9 city district) and a partner representing the regional level. Municipalities of smaller hinterland cities and towns participate as associated partners. Activities are organised in five regional pilots, with the aim to prepare proposals for the management of selected tasks of peri-urban cooperation, considering the particular settings, capacities and experiences in each region. Each pilot is accompanied by work groups of key actors, who meet regularly to exchange information and to discuss challenges of city-regional cooperation tackled in the pilots. These comprise the development of commercial areas, the management of transport, social services and green infrastructure and the review of institutional settings and governance structures. After a joint research on good practices in peri-urban cooperation the works in regional pilots have been launched to the full extent. Studies e.g. on pre-school education, needs for P&R facilities and green and open areas are being elaborated, and stakeholders and key actors are regularly involved in activities through regional newsletters, meetings of working groups and thematic events. Activities are documented and first results are accessible on the project website www.city-regions.eu. On European level, previously established contacts with the working groups on metropolitan cooperation of the EUROCITIES and METREX networks are maintained. Additionally a transnational group of experts has been established, evaluating the positioning of urban regions with regard to European strategies. The experts discuss the use of EU Structural Funds for peri-urban cooperation in the 2014-2020 funding period and the added value of macro-regional strategies.