The city of Bischwiller is located near Strasbourg and Haguenau and is only a few minutes away from Germany. This city with its strong and deep-rooted identity is home to nearly 13 000 inhabitants.

Strasbourg is a city in eastern France on the left bank of the Rhine. It is the capital of the Alsace region and of the département of Bas-Rhin. The city has been the seat of the Council of Europe since 1949, the European Parliament since 1992 and the European Court of Human Rights in the Human Rights Building since 1998, earning it the titles of “European Capital” and “Capital of Europe”. In terms of the number of people living within the city itself, Strasbourg is the largest municipality in the Grand Est region of France and the seventh largest in France. It is one of the main economic centres in the north east of the country.

Creuzier-le-Vieux is a French municipality located in the Allier département. Its population currently numbers around 3,400 inhabitants. Situated next to the city of Vichy, it was considered as Vichy’s “orchard” during the Vichy era. The northern part of Creuzier-le-Vieux is very rural, despite the ongoing process of urban development. In March 2017, the municipality decided to acquire the services of a territorial development expert in order to devise an enhancement strategy for the local heritage. This project was founded on a participatory decision.

The European Association for Local Democracy is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of good governance and citizen participation at local level. ALDA focuses on activities that facilitate co-operation between local authorities and civil society.    Established at the initiative of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, ALDA has been operating in the European Union and in its Neighbourhood since 1999