In 2017, UN-Habitat signed an agreement with the city of Zurich to facilitate a City-to-City Partnership  in areas most affected by the Syrian refugee crisis – Tyre was selected due to its location and the high number of refugees the city hosts. The City-to-City Partnership aims to respond to emerging challenges related to the refugee crisis and support the Municipality of Tyre by establishing and strengthening its Regional Technical Office (RTO) operating under the mandate of the Union of Municipalities in Tyre. The main objective of the City-to-City Partnership is to support the Municipality of Tyre in coping with the emerging refugee crisis, through sharing knowledge and expertise on the best possible practices for mobility and social cohesion between host and refugee communities. 

The RTO is supporting in the design and implementation of projects and initiatives within the Union of Tyre Municipalities including phase two of the City-to-City Partnership that is focused on a “Park and Ride” initiative that includes a parking lot where people can park their vehicles and take public transportation to reach their workplaces and touristic destinations across Tyre; in an effort to reduce congestion when commuting and to avoid parallel parking that blocks streets and passageways. This phase links to a local economic development project underway as part of the Municipal Empowerment Resilient Project (MERP) jointly implemented by UN-Habitat and UNDP through funding from the European Union in Lebanon. The project is targeting the municipalities of Abbasiye, Deir Kiffa and Deir Qanoun El Nahr within the Union of Tyre Municipalities that is facilitating public transportation solutions to connect these areas where public transportation does not exist. 

As one of the most crowded cities hosting refugees, Tyre is also known for being one of the most visited tourist destinations in Lebanon. The City-to-City Partnership has impacted around 70,000 individuals including the residents of Tyre. As of December 2022, the total number of indirect beneficiaries for the bike sharing stations covers the residents from host and refugee communities and visitors to the Union of Municipalities of Tyre, as well as, private and public sectors (hotels, community centers, banks, etc.)