Urban Policy

Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom: lessons to be learnt on national energy policy and long-term vision (2013)

As a background of the negotiations of a National Energy Agreement in the Netherlands, facilitated by the social Economic Council (SER), European Climate Foundation (ECF), PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), and Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP) organized a seminar on the international context. The main goals were to identify critical drivers, obstacles and solutions in the realization of a transition towards low-carbon and efficient energy system in key countries in North-western Europe and the institutional embedding of energy agreements to provide input for the discussions in the Dutch Energy Agreement.

EU policy options for climate and energy beyond 2020 (2013)

In 2009, the EU climate and energy package with targets for 2020 were formulated. For the period after 2020, however, there are no legally binding targets at the EU level, except for a decreasing ETS cap which will not be sufficient in light of the ambition for 2050. This leads to uncertainty for market players, as project lead times are long and high upfront investments need to deliver returns well beyond 2020. In its Green Paper on a 2030 framework for climate and energy policies, the European Commission recognised the need for clarity regarding the post-2020 policy framework. Currently under discussion is whether the approach for 2020 should be continued towards 2030 in the form of three more stringent targets or that other approaches would be more appropriate.

Council agrees additional funds for 2013 budget

The Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on draft amending budget no. 2 for 2013, on the basis of a proposal from the Irish presidency (9359/13). Draft amending budget no. 2 for 2013 is about meeting outstanding payment needs in the 2013 EU budget. The Council today agreed to provide EUR 7.3 billion in a first stage and to focus this amount on measures to support economic growth, create jobs and tackle unemployment, especially among youth people.

How do cities respond to urban challenges within the 2007-2013 cohesion policy period?

DG Regio (European Commission) published a new report in January 2013 showcasing 50 good practice examples in cities during the 2007 - 2013 cohesion policy period. The practices show how these cities are responding locally to common urban challenges with the aid of EU structural funds. The case studies are focused around eight key themes: smart growth; sustainable growth; inclusive growth; integrated area-based approaches; housing for marginalised groups; financial engineering; public participation and empowerment; and cooperation, networking and learning.

The EU Budget for 2014 – 2020 : invest in Europe’s young people

On the 7th and 8th of February 2013, EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss a major item on their agenda: the EU's budget for 2014-2020, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The European Council finally reached an agreement. In this article we give an overview of the highlights of this agreement and their impact on European cities and regions.

City to City Barcelona FAD Award

Cities are faced daily with problems, conflicts, challenges and new scenarios that require exemplary responses and solutions. In a context like the current one, where innovative ideas and entrepreneurial attitudes are crucial when it comes to improving the quality of life of cities, the FAD organises the City to City Barcelona FAD Award.

Adaptive urbanism: creative solutions when long term planning doesn't work by Manu Fernandez

Manu Fernandez from Spain is an independent strategic urban thinker and designer of innovative urban actions. His blog is about an adaptive strategy for municipalities. Fernandez: the current state of permanent paralysis and widespread budget cuts which municipal policies are going through has led to a landscape of stalled projects, white elephants and stationary cranes. Residential developments will take longer to accomplish, large scale regeneration projects will need extended schedules, failed transport infrastructures and projected real estate operations will keep their doors closed waiting for better times to come.

EUKN Annual Conference 2012: report, photos and presentations

On 7 December 2012, EUKN organised its annual conference in Essen, Germany. This year, the conference focused on resident participation in shrinking urban areas in Europe. Speakers and participants from various European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Hungary exchanged their views on how local residents can best be involved in tackling the negative impact of shrinkage on cities and regions. This webpage gives an impression of the issues and experiences discussed.

UN-Habitat State of the World's Cities 2012

Every year, UN-Habitat releases its flagship report 'State of the World's Cities'. The 2012 edition shows that prosperity for all has been compromised by a narrow focus on economic growth. UN-Habitat suggests a fresh approach to prosperity beyond the solely economic emphasis, including other vital dimensions such as quality of life, adequate infrastructures, equity and environmental sustainability.

International New Town Institute (INTI) 2009-2013

In 2009, the International New Town Institute (INTI) officially opened its doors. Since then, INTI has been developing its mission statement: to study the past, present and future of planned communities in an urbanising world, and to use this knowledge to improve the quality of New Towns worldwide. INTI is becoming an international platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience on New Towns. This booklet, Work in Progress II, provides an overview of where INTI stands today.

Cohesion Policy 2014 - 2020: negotiations about the urban dimension

During the last couple of months the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the plans of the European Commission for Cohesion Policy and its urban dimension. Interestingly, MEPs are positive about the increasingly urban-oriented focus, but they do not support the ‘Urban Development Platform’. The following months will prove to be exciting as the Member States will enter the negotiations.

UN-HABITAT launches tool to support urban planning

UN-HABITAT has launched a new guide called Urban Planning for City Leaders, aimed at providing local leaders and decision makers with the tools to support urban planning good practice. Although relevant to cities of all sizes, the guide targets intermediate cities – those with populations of between 20,000 and two million people – in developing and emerging economies in particular, where the majority of urban growth is taking place. The guide puts early urban planning at the centre of preparations for this growth.

Case study on the Polish Tri-City Region

As one of the hosting cities of the European Football Championships 2012, Gdansk has been featured regularly in the news over the summer months of 2012. Supporters of the likes of Spain, Italy, Ireland and Croatia all had the chance to discover the city and travel around in the region. Most likely they also visited the neighbouring cities Sopot and Gdynia as well, since these three cities are strongly connected and actually function as one metropolitan region: the Tri-City Region.

Spanish methodological guide for the drafting of Economic Sustainability Reports

The Spanish Ministry of Architecture, Housing and Land Development has recently published a methodological guide for the drafting of Economic Sustainability Reports (Guía Metodológica para la elaboración del Informe de Sostenibilidad Económica). This guide aims to give a basic explanation of the techniques used to facilitate the use of various applications in urban legislation and regulations. Also the formulation of plans and instruments for the zoning of land are proposed through private urbanizing initiatives in Spain.

Member States should guarantee all citizens equal access to the economy

One of the three main objectives of the European Union’s strategy for the next decade is to achieve “inclusive growth”. Paul Soto, URBACT Thematic Pole Manager, underlines this issue in his article “Laying the foundations for inclusive growth in European cities”, published in URBACT Project Results December 2011 Report.

Governance of Metropolitan Regions matters because cities will continue to grow and therefore need to be accomodated in state structures

The Community of Regions’ (CoR) publication titled “Governance of Metropolitan Regions – European and Global Regions” was produced in partnership with the Forum of Federations as a result of the conference on the common vision of the “urban dimension” in EU policy. It explains amongst others why metropolitan regions matter and the main challenges for metropolitan regions in Europe.

Urban governance in the EU: strategic and forward urban planning across Europe

The Community of Regions’ (CoR) publication titled ‘Urban Governance in the EU. Current Challenges and Future Prospects’ focuses primarily on strategic and forward urban planning across Europe. It gathers material from several conferences on urban matters such as territorial governance and environment or demographic change.

Cohesion Policy 2014-2020: to ensure that EU investment is targeted on Europe's long-term goals for growth and jobs

The European Commission has adopted a draft legislative package which will frame cohesion policy for 2014-2020. The new proposals are designed to reinforce the strategic dimension of the policy and to ensure that EU investment is targeted on Europe's long-term goals for growth and jobs ("Europe 2020"). Through Partnership Contracts agreed with the Commission, Member States will commit to focussing on fewer investment priorities in line with these objectives. The package also harmonises the rules related to different funds, including rural development and maritime and fisheries, to increase the coherence of EU action.

PRESS RELEASE Commission proposes one programming tool for all structural funds

Brussels, 14 March 2012 - Following the Cohesion Policy proposals of 6th October, and in order to help Member States with their preparations for the next programming period the Commission has today presented the "Common Strategic Framework" (CSF). It is intended to help in setting clear investment priorities for the next financial planning period from 2014 until 2020 in Member States and their regions. It will enable a far better combining of various funds to maximise the impact of EU investments. National and regional authorities will use this framework as the basis for drafting their 'Partnership Contracts' with the Commission, committing themselves to meeting Europe's growth and jobs targets for 2020.

EUKN annual conference 2011: "The Urban Dimension of Cohesion Policy"

The application of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)

Article 175 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union provided the legal basis for the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (the EGTC Regulation), which entered into force on 1 August 2006 and has been fully applicable since 1 August 2007. It opened a new perspective in the domain of cooperation and enabled the creation of a new European instrument providing a legal structure for better cooperation between national, regional and local authorities and other public law bodies in different countries, especially in the context of the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) Objective of Cohesion Policy.

Migration and Development Policy: What Have We Learned?

Migration and development have become a pressing policy priority on the global agenda over the past decade, surfacing in high-level policy discussions in the Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. During this time, evolution of the conventional wisdom has yielded innovative — albeit in many cases yet unproven — policies and programs. In “Migration and Development Policy: What Have We Learned?”, Kathleen Newland, who directs the Migration Policy Institute’s (MPI) Migrants, Migration, and Development program, examines recent approaches to migration and development, and offers recommendations and insight within this policy arena.

Citizen action and participation shape states and societies

Almost 450 resources are now available on the archive website of the Development Research Centre on Citizenship (DRC Citizenship), Participation and Accountability. DRC Citizenship was an experiment in global research. In 2001, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded a coordinating team, based at the Institute of Development Studies, to assemble a research consortium to investigate how citizens hold institutions to account and claim their rights.

More Urban, More Impact - EUROCITIES opinion on future Cohesion Policy

EUROCITIES believes that a more active role of cities in the future cohesion policy is the only way to reach Europe’s 2020 objectives of ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’. This will not be achieved without smart, sustainable and inclusive cities. Cities account for 75% of our population, 80% of energy use and 85% of Europe's GDP.

Integrated Urban Governance. The way forward.

Integrated Urban Governance is an essential pre-requisite in order to face the many challenges with which today cities all over the world are confronted. Integration is, however, a challenging task to put into practice.

Efficient Metropolitan Governance – Functioning Urban-Rural Relations

In the European Union (EU), currently 73 percent of the population lives in urban areas of over 20.000 inhabitants. Apart from the 2 mega-poles of London and Paris, Europe is characterised by a unique polycentric structure of large, midsize and small cities. However, population is a relative criterion- and sustainable urban development within Cohesion Policy is not only about big cities. A small town in a sparsely populated area plays a significant role in the regional economy. The EU needs cities of all sizes to succeed in the ambitions for smart, sustainable and socially inclusive growth objectives which have been set in the Europe 2020 strategy. The EU will be most successful in pursuing this agenda if all regions, especially those with the greatest potential for higher productivity and employment are able to play their part.

Courage is needed for public sector innovation

New ideas that create value for society are called public sector innovation in the new book by Christian Bason. He argues however that these innovations are not actually new. Public leaders around the world are demonstrating how a significantly more conscious and systematic approach to creating innovative solutions can effectively address some of our most pressing societal challenges. In ‘Leading Public Sector Innovation – Co-creating for a better society’ it is argued that, in spite of significant barriers, it is possible to systematically apply the practices and tools of innovation that are embodied by organisations to create radical new value for society.

Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour: Barcelona asks all European cities for advice

Urban areas face many different challenges on a daily basis. To help you get answers to these questions in a simple and fast manner, the European Metropolitan network Institute (EMI) has set up a new knowledge exchange tool for urban areas: Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour. Learn from the experiences of other cities and share your specific experiences with other urban areas. Let EMI do the work for you: submit your questions and be assured of a reply within a few weeks.

Urban issues in nation-state agendas: a comparison in Western Europe

Taking into account the context of globalization, glocalization and political rescaling, the research by Ernesto d’Albergo takes stock of the ways urban issues are processed in the political agendas of Western European cities. In the research titled ‘Urban issues in nation-state agendas: a comparison in Western Europe’ 4 case studies (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) are used. A typology of ‘national urban policies’ is proposed, based on their explicit versus implicit focus on issues spatially defined as urban ones as well as the direct versus indirect character.

Which European city is the ideal capital of the European Union?

Which European city can claim to be the ideal capital of the European Union of today and tomorrow, given the possibilities for future enlargements? Based on four different indicators, this article considers several alternative locations. Is there a chance that such a movement will take place?

Synergy between European Territorial Cooperation and Cohesion Policy

This Discussion Paper has been prepared by INTERACT as an input to the consultation process that the European Commission has initiated based on the 5th Cohesion Report. It discusses the way in which ETC can contribute to Territorial Cohesion, the new goal of Cohesion Policy – and the ways in which Territorial Cooperation can be aligned with strategic EU2020 goals.

KENTGES: Integrated Urban Development Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2023, Turkey

In Turkey, the need for improving quality of spatial life in urban settlements, strengthening economic and social structure, and restructuring the spatial planning system has been gradually increasing. Therefore, an ‘Urban Development Strategy and Action Plan’ had to be created.

CEMR Policy Paper on the Future of EU Cohesion Policy

CEMR (The Council of European Municipalities ) has published recently its position paper on the 5th cohesion report. The report provides key messages and recommendations in order to foster the development and territorial potential of all EU regions. In the paper CEMR stresses the importance of local and regional authorities in implementing EU policies and achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion.

Cohesion in Europe: The Challenges for Regions

The Commission has initiated a Consultation Procedure in order to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the redefinition of Cohesion Policy. In this light the Assembly of European Regions (AER) has published a White Paper on the future of this Policy. The Assembly emphasises the importance of regions in realising EU agendas and recommends that new indicators -apart from GDP- should be introduced in order to allow a more refined definition of eligible regions.

Competing to Attract: City Branding in Europe

In a global economy, cities compete to attract talent, investors, events and tourists. To meet this challenge, cities are engaging in marketing and branding to improve their image and position themselves on the international scene. As city branding has become a key urban development tool, several questions emerge: What is a city brand? How should it be developed? This guide can constitute a useful resource for cities engaging in the process of city branding.

EU Urban Policy, European Urban Policies and the Neighbourhood: An overview of concepts, programmes and strategies

In this paper Rob Atkinson examines urban policy in EU countries. The research does not cover all European countries but it provides comparisons of urban policies between merely Western European countries. However, it does include some elements regarding urban policies in Central Eastern European (CEE) countries. Especially after the admission of CEE countries to the European Union some transformations regarding urban policy in these countries occurred. Taking this into account, Atkinson first describes urban policy in EU context and later on he addresses approaches towards neighbourhood policies in four Western European countries. In the final section, he draws conclusions merely based on common policy areas with particular emphasis on neighbourhood policy.

First ESPON synthesis report: New Evidence on Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Territories

ESPON supports policy development related to EU Cohesion Policy. The report is the first in a series of three ESPON Synthesis Reports which all aim to communicate major ESPON results on numerous ongoing research themes relevant for integrated, place-based policy considerations.

The fifth Cohesion Report: a new emphasis on cities and regions

The Lisbon Treaty has added territorial cohesion to the goals of economic and social cohesion. As a result, it is necessary to address this objective in new programmes, with particular emphasis on the role of cities, functional geographies, areas facing specific geographical or demographic problems and macro-regional strategies. The Commission's 5th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion ‘Investing in Europe’s Future’ shows that the EU's cohesion policy has made a significant contribution to growth and prosperity and promoting balanced development across the Union. However, as a result of the economic crisis, the policy now needs to adapt to address new challenges.

eGovernment Research: the EU Framework Programmes for Research

To achieve the eGovernment goals agreed by the EU, research in the field must be done. The EU Framework Programmes (FP’s) are the main programmes in research to provide answers and workable solutions.

Building Science Regions in the European Research Area: Governance in the Territorial Agora

The relationship between science and the economy is central to policy frameworks for competitiveness and development at European, national and regional levels. This research offers a comparative analysis of approaches for building ‘science regions’ in order to understand the dynamic interaction between science, economy and governance. Within these ‘science regions’, science and industry are being linked and the power of science as a driver for wealth creation and economic growth is being harnessed.

"The Europeanization of cities is a circular, interactive and dynamic process"

From our point of view, Europeanization of cities is a circular, interactive and dynamic process. It is not an outcome, but a process, which needs to be explained (hence, cannot explain urban change). Europeanization of cities embraces both vertical and horizontal dynamics, whereby vertical dynamics mainly rely on uploading and downloading of policies, discourses, norms and values as well as ‘ways of doing things’. Vienna University of Technology, Department for Infrastructure and Environmental Planning, Centre of Sociology professor Alexander Hamedinger explains the Europeanization of Cities in his new book with the same title (The Europeanization of Cities, ed. Alexander Hamedinger and Alexander Wolffhardt, Techne Press). He goes on to explain that horizontal dynamics address the whole spectrum of city networks and other forms of cross-national networking. Furthermore, Europeanization is refracted by a number of ‘mediating factors’, which finally lead to different ‘forms’ of Europeanization. Some of these factors are national institutional frameworks, time of accession to the EU as well as local political-administrative structures and political cultures. Europeanization of cities concentrates on a wide array of research objects, which could be packed into the following division: cognitive, discoursive, institutional and political Europeanization.

EUKN publication: 'Urban Development in Europe'

Cities play a crucial role in creating a sustainable, social and innovative Europe. Nowadays, cities have to face many challenges, especially since the arrival of the economic recession. For this reason, it is important to involve all actors and governmental layers and to exchange good practices, proven policies, skills and experiences. In other words, an integrated approach from local to European level. This key publication provides an overview of urban policy in 15 EU Member States.

Urban ministers adopt declaration on sustainable cities

Two significant outcomes from the informal ministerial meeting on urban development held on 21-22 June in Toledo, Spain, have given huge impetus to the case for fully involving cities in the EU policy making process and delivery on Europe 2020 goals.

The role of small and medium sized towns - ESPON project 1.4.1

The study aims at finding typologies of small and medium sized towns on the NUTS 3 or 2 levels, at an improvement of the knowledge about the role of small and medium sized towns (SMESTOs) in spatial development and also at analysing their specific potentials and challenges.

National Urban Policy of Portugal

National Urban Policy of the Netherlands

New Deal for Communities 2001-2005: an interim evaluation - UK

Notable practice in regeneration

Six case study examples of 'holistic' regeneration from the United Kingdom and Europe.

National Urban Policy of Cyprus

National Urban Policy of Denmark

National Urban Policy of France

National Urban Policy of Hungary

National Urban Policy of Spain

National Urban Policy of Sweden

National Urban Policy of Luxembourg

The Null Euro Urbanismus project

The Null Euro Urbanismus project or 'Low Budget Urbanism' is dedicated to the search for good practice projects in the areas of urban construction, urban planning and urban development. The project pays special attention to practices that are distinguished by the relatively low involvement of municipal funds or are cost-neutral for the municipalities

Europe 2020: Commission proposes new economic strategy in Europe

The European Commission has launched today the Europe 2020 Strategy to go out of the crisis and prepare EU economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth, to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels: smart growth (fostering knowledge, innovation, education and digital society), sustainable growth (making our production more resource efficient while boosting our competitiveness) and inclusive growth (raising participation in the labour market, the acquisition of skills and the fight against poverty). This battle for growth and jobs requires ownership at top political level and mobilisation from all actors across Europe . Five targets are set which define where the EU should be by 2020 and against which progress can be tracked.

Survey on perception of quality of life in 75 European cities

The Commission today releases the results of an opinion poll looking at how citizens perceive the quality of life in 75 major European cities. In these challenging economic times, availability of jobs and housing costs remain dominant concerns. Although responses reveal wide disparities overall, transport, heath and education services generally score well. The wealth of information provided by the survey is not only useful for city planners and decision-makers, but also for citizens who would like to know which cities are seen as good places to live.

Phoenix Cities: The fall and rise of great industrial cities

'Weak market cities' across European and America, or 'core cities' as they were in their heyday, went from being 'industrial giants' dominating their national, and eventually the global, economy, to being 'devastation zones'. In a single generation three quarters of all manufacturing jobs disappeared, leaving dislocated, impoverished communities, run down city centres and a massive population exodus. So how did Europeans react? This book looks closely at the recovery trajectories of seven European cities from very different regions of the European Union, including Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

New publication on the urban dimension in EU policies

The European Union contributes to the sustainable development of urban areas through a range of policies and initiatives which cover many areas of activity. In particular, the EU's cohesion policy, through the structural funds, plays a key role in underpinning the development and revitalisation of Europe’s towns and cities. Designed to explain these initiatives in the field of urban policies, this updated guide from the European Commission's Inter-Service Group on Urban Development, looks at the ways in which cities can benefit from EU policies, explores the impact of European policies in urban areas, and offers information on potential sources of finance.

Results of the public consultation on the EU 2020 strategy

The European Commission has published two documents in the context of the preparation for the Europe 2020 strategy, the successor to the Lisbon strategy.

The Suburbanization of Poverty: Trends in Metropolitan America, 2000 to 2008

The 1990s were a time of historic economic growth for the United States, and a period when the country made remarkable strides in poverty reduction, as evidenced by near record lows in the poverty rate and considerable declines in the number of high-poverty neighborhoods throughout the country at the time of Census 2000. But 2000 marked a turning point for the economy as a whole and for American poverty.

UN-HABITAT publishes 'State of the World's Cities 2010-2011'

UN-HABITAT has published the 'State of the World's Cities' report for 2010-2011. Following on from previous State of the World's Cities reports, this edition uses the framework of 'The Urban Divide' to analyse the complex social, political, economic and cultural dynamics of urban environments. In particular, the report focuses on the concept of the 'right to the city' and ways in which many urban dwellers are excluded from the advantages of city life.

Outcomes of the Swedish Presidency most relevant for cities

The Swedish Presidency, which lasted from July until December 2009, has come to an end. "Taking on the challenge" was its slogan. Indeed, the Presidency has been faced by many challenges, including climate change, the economic crisis and the Lisbon Treaty. In the following article you find an overview of the achievements of the Presidency that are of greatest importance and interest to European cities.

Territorial cohesion: unleashing the territorial potential

The European Union has an incredibly rich territorial diversity. Territorial cohesion is about ensuring a balanced development of all these places and about making sure that our citizens are able to make the most of inherent features of their territories – to transform diversity into an asset that contributes to sustainable development of the entire EU. The Lisbon Treaty states that the EU shall promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, and solidarity among Member States. With the 2008 Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion, the Commission launched a public debate around the different dimensions of territorial cohesion. Almost 400 contributions were received in response to the consultation, providing 'food for thought' on how to improve present practices and develop new policy options.

The real legacy of the Olympics

The journal Planning Theory & Practice takes a look at the personal cost and experience of being displaced by a major sporting event, raising questions for planners.

Commissioner Samecki presents an orientation paper on future cohesion policy

With his term in office drawing to a close, Commissioner Paweł Samecki has presented an orientation paper on the future cohesion policy. The paper looks at the goals that cohesion policy should pursue to meet the challenges of the 21st century, with Europe' regions as essential actors in providing responses to these challenges.

Researchers highlight most important urban issues in The Netherlands

The publication 'City in Sight: Dutch Dealings with Urban Change', presents the results of the most recent research into urban issues in The Netherlands.These urban issues are generally connected to important changes in Dutch society, such as the transformation to a post industrial economy, immigration, urban regeneration, a retreating government and the promotion of active citizenship. Turbulent incidents at the beginning of the new millennium - 9/11and two political murders - strengthened the sense of urgency to place the urban question high on the political agenda.

Mega-projects in New York, London and Amsterdam

During the most recent decade we have witnessed the mounting of very large development projects (mega-projects) in European and American cities. After a hiatus during the 1990s brought on by the real-estate bust early in the decade, major cities have responded to the pressures of the global economy by using very big, mixed-use developments as attractors of multinational business and sitesfor new housing. There is a striking physical similarity among the schemes, irrespective of the city in which they are located. At the same time they differ in social outcomes and planning processes, reflecting the level of commitmentthat the host city has toward social equity. 

Analysis of regional spatial planning and decision making strategies and their impact on land use in the urban fringe - Case study the Hague

This report describes and analyses the efforts of regional partners to steer land use developments in the urban fringe of The Hague Region, a polycentric city region with nine municipalities in the urbanized West of the Netherlands.

An agenda for reformed Cohesion Policy (the Barca report)

To contribute to the debate on future cohesion policy, Commissioner Danuta Hübner has asked Dr. Fabrizio Barca (Director General, Ministry of Economy & Finance, Italy) to prepare an independent report containing an assessment of the effectiveness of cohesion policy to date as well as a series of proposals how to reform cohesion policy for the period post 2013.

Family Mobility and Neighborhood Change

Where people livematters. Neighborhood environments have consequences for the families’ well-being and their children’s long-term life chances. The quality of local public services (particularly schools), the prevalence of crime and violence, the influences of peers and social networks, and the proximity to jobs can all act either to isolate families from social and economic opportunities or to enhance their prospects for the future. A substantial body of social science research finds that growing up in a distressed, highpoverty neighborhood is associated with an increased risk of bad outcomes, including school failure, poor health, delinquency and crime, teen parenting, and joblessness (Ellen and Turner 1997).

The turning points of EU Cohesion policy

EU Cohesion (or regional) policy has not had an easy life. Since its inception, the criticism it has been subjected to has been a constant in the history of the European Union. The current Cohesion policy has not been immune from this long-standing streak of criticism. In many ways, Cohesion policy remains 'under threat', as a range of academics, analysts, practitioners and European governments continue to question the policy’s rationale, organisation and effectiveness.

How to promote Ageing Well in Europe: Instruments and tools available to local and regional actors

Every region in Europe is faced with rapid demographic ageing which will oblige policy makers to review the way in which they respond to the needs of their citizens. Society has changed rapidly over recent years, and the ways in which local authorities respond to these new demands will have to adapt accordingly. Local stakeholders, town planners, public transport operators, public health organisations, social service providers, architects, social housing organisations, older citizens’ groups, universities, etc. need to discuss the right response to the specific challenges faced by the European ageing populations.

Learning from city recovery in Europe and the United States

A study of why cities decline, how they recover and how low-income communities within them fare under the impact of dramatic changes.

CoR and the College of Europe join forces to debate multilevel governance

On 22 September 2009, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the College of Europe will organise a conference on Multilevel Governance in Europe. The one-day conference will bring together CoR members and other political and institutional representatives with experts, academics and students, and is an opportunity to present to a wider public the White Paper on Multilevel Governance adopted by the CoR in June 2009, as well as to discuss its main political recommendations. It also strengthens the partnership between the CoR and one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the field of EU studies- the College of Europe in Bruges.

Cultural Development and City Neighborhoods

Cities around the world are building and branding urban cultural life as away to develop local economies and revitalize urban centers. Such 'culture-led development' or 'cultural development' plans and programs have led many cities to expand existing cultural agencies and programs, and to establish new ones. These cultural agencies and programs serve nonprofit cultural amenities such as museums and theaters, target cultural industries such as film and music production, and, more recently, have begun to focus on supporting the artisticworkforce. However, cities have done less to recognize and systematically promote the cultural lives of urban neighborhoods and their residents. When cultural agencies do not consciously and actively incorporate communities and their needs into cultural development, their policies and programs can in fact conflict with and threaten the cultural health of urban neighborhoods. Ultimately, this will undermine a city's cultural vitality and undercut its ability to appeal to the developers, tourists, creative-sector businesses, and educated workforce that cultural development means to attract.

Projections of urban development

‘Projections of Urban Development’ opens a wide field in terms of content as well as geographical coverage. In this working paper, Charles Westin and Niklas Westin offer an overview of world population development, the main trends in global urbanisation and the effects of fast-growing mega-cities that lack adequate environmental infrastructure and political stability.

Local governments constitute world cities themselves

Urban studies generally look at city networks as specific flows that connect world cities. The actors responsible for the generation of flows often receive less attention than the flows themselves. Political studies in turn generally look at city networks as voluntary cooperation schemes with varying degrees of institutionalisation, constituted by local governments. For political studies, the agents are the main focus of study of city networks. In the paper 'Local Governments as Foreign Policy Actors and Global Cities Network-Makers', Monica Salomon connects the two fields of study. She believes that in order to deal with cities as diffusers of governance practices and institutions, it is essential to take the role of local governments into account. She clarifies this role by pointing out two cities: Barcelona (Spain) and Porto Alegre (Brazil), two cities that serve as nodes of the global governance network.

Externalities Imposed on Residential Properties in Highly Urbanized Areas

In highly urbanized areas different types of land use compete for space. Open spaces such as farmland and nature are under pressure since urban areas are expanding at their expense. Because of the high opportunity costs of development in urban areas, a high price has to be paid for the maintenance and creation of open space. The question is if this high price can be justified by the value of the open space. Similarly, choices have to be made regarding the location of greenhouse horticulture and industrial areas. Although these types of land use create a high value added, they also create externalities that affect the surrounding users of the land. If they have a negative impact on the users o fsurrounding land their total added value is lower than the value indicated by their profit. 

Breakthrough cities: how cities can mobilise creativity and knowledge

The Young Foundation and the British Council have executed a survey:´Breakthrough cities: how cities can mobilise creativity and knowledge´ within their project ´Creative Cities´. These two organisations cooperate together to develop the ´Urban Bakery Ideas´, ´a set of methods designed to help cities mobilise their creativity to better solve – together – the major challenges they face, from the recession to crime, high carbon emissions to poor education´.Urban Bakery Ideas is part of the British Council’s ´Creative Cities´ which aims to connect people worldwide and create opportunities to share knowledge and ideas. The report ´breakthrough cities´ is a component for the Urban Bakery ideas programme and gives an indication of social innovation and creativity, intercultural dialogue and climate change across the Russian and North European region. For this research, examples of people living within 15 countries of these regions were used. Also, the report provides guidance for policy makers, consultants, public employees, workers in the arts or education sectors, NGOs, or simply private individuals committed to improve urban living.

The Century of the City: No Time to Lose

In 2007, the US-based Rockefeller Foundation organised a Global Urban Summit, during which the most pressing issues in the developing world and the United States were discussed. These included for example water, sanitation, climate change, health and urban planning. The book 'Century of the City' presents the main conclusions of this Summit. Participants agreed that the challenges facing cities demand multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approaches and integrated working methods. This book offers inspiration and ideas to tackle the main problems facing cities in the world and shows how they might be overcome. Planetizen named 'Century of the City' one of the ten best planning books of 2009.

Joining forces in urban restructuring: dealing with collaborative ideals and role conflicts in Breda, the Netherlands

This paper addresses the questions: What expectations do local stakeholders have of each other with respect to partnerships within the urban restructuringprocess, how do they perceive the cooperation within  the partnerships in practice, and how can the functioning of the partnerships be explained?

The population of Brussels: a demographic overview

On 1 January 2008, the Brussels Region had 1.048.491 inhabitants. The population in Brussels is the youngest one in the country. Over the past 50 years, the demographic development has been strongly influenced by migration. And this is still the case today. In Brussels, most of the world’s nationalities are represented. In addition, the forecasts foresee a strong population increase over the next decades and the pressure on the housing offer is currently pretty strong. There are several questions that arise: can Brussels absorb 200.000 new inhabitants? Will housing become unaffordable in Brussels? Does Brussels invest enough in its youth?

The impact of international institutions on Brussels

Brussels is a unique city in that it is home to an exceptionally high number of international organisations and many national and regional representations. For some time now, the inhabitants of Brussels have been questioning the impactof these elements on their city (e.g. real estate prices). The studies which have been conducted in order to answer this crucial question have had significant deficiencies, such as an incapacity to take into account the effects of internationalisation on the Belgian urban system or to provide correct information for urban planning (such as the International Development Plan). These deficiencies stem from a view of the issue which is limited to an analysis in terms of costs and benefits.

The Re-creation of the European City

"European and national developments can have important spatial impacts and implications for cities and city regions," Rob Atkinson and Cristiana Rossignolo write in the introductory chapter of their book 'The Re-creation of the European City'. However, according to the editors, the problem is that there is relatively little consideration of these impacts. Cities and city regions have become key drivers of national and European economic development. This position calls for a major role in territorial and social development and issues of sustainability and social cohesion. This book explores the modern European city. It looks into the emergence of new forms of territorial cohesion at the urban and city regional levels. It illustrates how European cities and regions are planned at different scales in different European contexts. Contributions include analyses of different areas such as Scotland's city-regions, Randstad Holland and city-region planning in England and France.

Philosophy and the city - classic to contemporary writings

"The common purpose of the city is human flourishing", Aristotle once wrote. We may not think of it every day, but philosophy and the city are strongly related. That is the main message of the book 'Philosophy and the city', edited by Sharon M. Meagher. She rightly shows that even today's belief that the problems of cities are too great to solve demonstrates the importance and influence of philosophy on our cities. After all, "anti-urban attitudes are shaped by a system of philosophical thought", she says. In this book, Meagher takes the reader through the history of the relationship between philosophy and the city. It provides food for thought for those practitioners, academics or students who would like to view urban issues from a different perspective.

Man Makes the City; urban development and planning

This book provides a well-illustrated and readable overview of the urban development phenomenon, and is suitable for students and the general reader.

Creativity and the City: thinking through the steps

Creativity is like a rash; it is all-pervasive. Everyone is in the creativity game. Creativity is a mantra of our age, whether referring to creative individuals, companies, cities and countries; and even creative streets or creative buildings or projects. At the author's last count 60 cities world-wide claimed to be creative cities.

European Local Democracy Week

The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) is a new annual European event where national and local activities are organised concurrently by participating local authorities in all Member States. The goal of the week is to foster the knowledge of local democracy and promote the idea of democratic participation at a local level. The week around 15 October has been chosen for holding the event, as a tribute to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, adopted on that date in 1985. Local authorities in Europe are invited to organise their own activities and events for the 2008 edition of the Local Democracy Week.

European cities have always experienced prosperity

European governments are tending to perceive cities as sites of renewed economic dynamism and physical renaissance. Cities are moreover viewed as places that can help to resolve social and environmental challenges. This paper 'Resurgent European cities?', written by Ivan Turok and Vlad Mykhnenko, looks at the question whether the position of European cities has really improved, or whether cities have always been relative places of prosperity. The paper explores six economic variables for 151 cities over a 25-year period between1980 and 2005. The paper is part of a larger study of European cities supported by the Scottish Funding Council under the Centre for Public Policy for Regions.

Should Planners Start Playing Computer Games? Arguments from SimCity and Second Life

In his book Self-Organization and the City, Juval Portugali describes how, in the past sixty years, our conceptualization of cities has shifted from a portrayal as isolated, stable and transparent systems, into open, self-organizing and complex systems, and how the role of the planner has turned from that of an engineer who masters these systems into that of, at best, simply observers and participants.

Local Development Benefits from Staging Global Events

The competition to stage major global events – such as Olympic Games, EXPOs, cultural festivals, and political summits – is more intense than ever before. Despite advances in virtual communication, large-scale gatherings of this kind have again become extraordinarily popular. In part, this can be explained by the worldwide media attention and sponsorship that such events now generate. But it is also substantially accounted for by the longer-term local benefits that can be achieved for the host location, including: improved infrastructure, increased revenues from tourism and trade, employment creation and heightened civic pride.

What do inhabitants of your city think? The 'Soul of the City' programme knows

Have you ever wondered what Barcelona residents think of the cultural facilities in their city? Have you always wanted to know if people in Stockholm are having difficulties paying their bills? And would it not be interesting to know how people in other European cities think of your city? Gallup Europe's 'Soul of the City' website answers all these questions. The programme allows cities to measure and track their political, economic and social well-being based on how residents view their performance in providing healthy living and working conditions. The goal is to help each city foster economic development and multiculturalism, and to learn how to bring more satisfaction to its residents.

OECD Territorial Review of Istanbul

Istanbul is the demographic and economic heart of Turkey. The city has gone through major changes over the past century. Today, it consists of about 15 million inhabitants: a more than tenfold increase since 1950. Over time, Istanbul has established itself as the industrial, financial and logistics centre of Turkey, producing almost one-third of the national output and receiving most foreign direct investment. However, the city also faces several important challenges that could hamper its ambition to become a hub for finance, logistics, culture and tourism in the Euro-Asia regions. This territorial review of Istanbul published by OECD, analyses the main challenges the city has to deal with and provides several possible solutions.

Success and the city: learning from international urban policies

'Success and the city' is the second in a series of three reports on urban regeneration policy published by 'Policy Exchange' and 'Localis'. In the first report, the authors concluded that current urban policy in the UK is proving ineffective at helping the worst performing cities of the country. In their search for better alternatives, they turn to six city-regions in five different countries. This report illustrates how these city-regions have designed and delivered good urban policy and have therefore become successful centres .Although this analysis was made on the basis of the urban situation in the UK, the case studies also form interesting learning material for other European cities.

In search of a stable urban regime for Montréal

For many years and on several occasions, Montreal’s economic and political leaders have mobilized in search of strategies but have been unable to restore the city’s past vitality. These efforts have nonetheless resulted in various collaborative initiatives whose scope can be understood in terms of urban regimes and of the various interests at play.

Empowering metropolitan regions through new forms of cooperation

As European cities and metropolitan regions have come to operate in an increasingly complex and competitive environment, regional cooperation is becoming ever more important. 'Empowering Metropolitan Regions through New Formsof Cooperation' is an Euricur (European Institute for Comparative Urban Research) research project which analyses the development of cross-border and cross-sector partnerships in various European cities and regions. It provides insight into the factors of failure and success in relation to the coalition-forming process by comparing various attempts at this in European regions. The comparative analysis of these attempts to establish cooperation between municipalities sheds light on the importance of a regional approach to governance in dealing with challenges that cross administrative borders.

Regional offices as European policy actors

Brussels has acquired international capital status for regional and local lobbying. The establishment of a representation to the EU in Brussels has become the standard for regions (and, to a lesser extent, local authorities) from EU Member States.

Decentralization and Local Democracy in the World

The role of local government in the contemporary world is changing as local democracy is gaining momentum from West to East and North to South. The´Reporton Decentralization and Local Democracy in the World´published by ´United Cities and Local Governments´offers a comparative analysis of the situation of local authorities around the world. The Report shows that decentralisation has established itself as a political and institutional phenomenon in most countries around the globe. However, the differences between countries and regions remain considerable. In European countries, the value attached to the role of local institutions is relatively large. Therefore, strengthening local governance in Europe is of great importance.

Urban Policy in the Nordic Countries

Although the Nordic countries were late starters, urban policy now seems to be an integrated part of the public initiatives connected to urban problems.

Small municipalities work 'together, but still separate'

Follow-up of the Territorial Agenda and Leipzig Charter

In May 2007, the ministers responsible for spatial planning of the Member States of the European Union adopted the Territorial Agenda of the European Union: Towards a more competitive Europe of diverse regions (Territorial Agenda) and the Leipzig Charter on sustainable European cities (Leipzig Charter) at the informal ministerial meeting on urban development and territorial cohesion inLeipzig. Taking these two political documents as a starting point this ad-hocnote analyzes the present (prevailing) state of territorial policy making on European level and proposes a number of actions which are deemed necessary to further enhance territorial cohesion in Europe and a balanced development of the European regions.

Baltic Palette

The metropolitan areas around Helsinki, St Petersburg, Stockholm, Riga and Tallinn together form the Baltic Palette Region. The Baltic Palette is an innovative project with the aim to promote the Baltic Sea Region. The project focuses on tourism, environmental issues, infrastructure, spacial planning andinformation technology, among other things.

Environmental relief potential of urban action on avoidance and detoxification of waste streams through green public procurement

Sustainable procurement aims to integrate environmental considerations into all stages of the public purchasing process with the goal of reducing the impacton human health and the environment. RELIEF helps local and central government organizations to adapt their behaviour patterns and effectuate green purchasingin practice.

Helexpo exhibition and congress centre - Athens, GR

Every year, hundreds of exhibitions are staged in Athens. Many of these were held at venues not specifically designed for exhibitions, such as hotels, stations and sports complexes. These venues were poorly suited to holding parallel conferences and seminars, which is something many major exhibitions now require. It was to bridge this gap that an exhibition and congress centre was built in Athens under the aegis of the public corporation Thessaloniki International Fair S.A.

Dutch rural municipality Ten Boer purchases municipal services from City of Groningen

While discussing the 2003 budget, the city council of the Dutch rural municipality Ten Boer, concluded that it would be difficult for the municipalityto fulfil all of its tasks adequately in the future. As a result of decentralisation, the municipality consisting of around 7000 inhabitants, was getting more responsibilities, but the financial resources to effectively manage them were lacking. The local council then decided to intensively cooperate with the city of Groningen in a way that had never been done before…

National policy responses to urban challenges in Europe

Modern European cities have to operate in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. Enhancing urban competitiveness has become a major challenge for cities in Europe. Policy developed by city governments is formed to meet these challenges, but policies drawn up by regional/national governments also often directly influence cities and their position. Apart from that, European policy also increasingly affects EU cities. This publication of EURICUR presents the current situation relating to national urban policies in EU Member States in order to see how national urban policy directly influences European cities.

Governing Cities in a Global Era: Urban Innovation, Competition and Democratic Reform

Today's cities are undergoing rapid change as a result of globalisation and urbanisation. These changes imply a new approach towards the governance of cities. The way urban leaders and communities confront the modern challenges of urbanisation and globalisation is extremely important. The book 'Governing Cities in a Global Era', edited by Robin Hambleton and Jill Simone Gross, presents a thorough analysis of the way cities around the world are governed today. While some scholars think that cities are helpless victims of globalising and urbanising forces, the authors of this book believe that cities are still able to tackle urban problems if they do it creatively.

Council of Europe ministers promote good democratic governance at local level

On 16 October 2007, ministers from the member states of the Council of Europe adopted the 'Valencia Declaration' which sets out their agreement on a number of important proposals aimed at promoting good democratic governance in Europe. The final declaration of the 15th session of the Conference of European ministers responsible for local and regional government (15-16 October 2007), emphasizes the need for states to adopt measures for ensuring ethical behaviour by local authorities and transparency in public management and decision-making.

Market forces in the utilities sector enrich the companies and not the community

Liberalised utility companies have to combine profitability with serving the public interests. The constant debate on this issue indicates that politicians and citizens are concerned about these apparently contradictory interests. In her inaugural speech as Professor of Law and Infrastructures at the Delft University of Technology on 21 September 2007, Prof. Helen Stout posited that neither market forces nor legislation or regulation are satisfactory. "Public interests in the liberalised utilities markets could best be guaranteed by reinforcing the desired norms and values within the businesses", according to Stout. She claims that institutional anchoring can be realised at three levels; the Board of Directors, the Board of Commissioners and the shareholders meeting.

The ten and a half myths that may distort the urban policies of governments and international agencies

The paper identifies twelve myths on urban areas that often form a basis for urban policies. It explains how these myths were created and why they are false.

World Urban Areas report: Population & Urban Density Estimates

The World Urban Areas Report is a database on larger urban areas world wide.

Community planning and the role of national voluntary organisations

The SCR learning points aim to pass on what people learn from working and talking together. They encourage good practice and networking and build up a picture of what is happening in the field. This learning point focuses on the role of national voluntary organisations in the context of community planning.

State of European Cities Report

The State of the European Cities Report gives a valuable insight in the current situation in 258 cities in the EU territory. It is based upon the Urban Audit, which allows these 258 cities to be statistically compared for the first time. It addresses a wide range of issues including demographic change, urban competitiveness, living conditions and the administrative power of cities. The report acknowledges the role of cities as laboratories: the places where economic and societal changes are often experienced first and most profoundly. It offers a reference point for cities that seek to understand the changes around them and look for strategic reorientation.

Exemplars of neighbourhood governance

The report summarises findings from a study of neighbourhood governance, and examines a range of neighbourhood arrangements to identify critical success factors and barriers to successful neighbourhood working.

Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities

To achieve the objective of sustainable cities, an integral approach to urban issues must be chosen. In addition, the European structural funds should be made available for local projects that embrace this integral approach. This is the most important message of the Leipzig Charter, which was adopted by the European ministers responsible for urban policy on 24 May 2007.

What can the EU do for your city? – Guide on the urban dimension in EU policies

Ever wondered which European DGs are active in the field of urban environment? Which DGs are involved in revitalising city centres? There are several EU policies that have a direct impact in Europe’s urban areas, even though urban policy is not an explicit competence of the European Union. The guide ‘The urban dimension in Community policies for the period 2007-2013’ provides a comprehensive overview of all EU policies that are relevant to European cities. This publication by the European Commission is a good reference book for anyone involved in urban policy in Europe.

Antwerp City Contract 2005-2007

The Antwerp City Contract contains four strategic objectives.First of all, there is the integrated neighbourhood development. The emphasis here is on certain areas that can be classified as disadvantaged. A second strategic objective envisages strong social cohesion. Improving the health situation in underprivileged neighbourhoods is a third objective. The care for healthy and high-quality accommodation is the last pillar in the Antwerp multi-year programme.

Management of municipalities

Municipalities do not manage their organisation according to measurable performance.

City Diplomacy: the expanding role of cities in international politics

Although it could be argued that foreign affairs is still primarily a task of national governments and their Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the state is no longer the only actor on the diplomatic stage. Associations of states, NGOs and multinational corporations, for example, increasingly play a role in diplomacy. Despite substantial attention for these three groups of new actors, academic discussion has focused less on the increasing role of another actor in diplomacy, namely the city. This omission is remarkable given the increasing importance of cities around the world.

Potential for synergy in urban networks largely untouched

The central idea behind the policy concept of urban networks is that the total of a metropolitan area is more than just the sum of its component cities.This is expressed in the idea that cities can complement each other and that they have a larger 'mass' together, resulting in a larger support for certain facilities. Unfortunately, much of the potential for synergy between cities in an urban network remains untouched. That is the conclusion of Evert Meijers in his dissertation on synergy in polycentric metropolitan regions, including the Randstad and the German Rhine-Ruhr area. In his research, he illuminates three aspects that could provide synergy among cities.

City-to-City Cooperation(C2C): in Habitat Debate Journal

City-to-City Cooperation- Incorporating Decentralized Development Cooperation Policies and Approaches

City-to-City Cooperation: Issues Arising from Experience

Experience and lessons in City-to-City Cooperation as Frameworks for Development Cooperation.

Rapid Urban Sector Profiling for Sustainability (RUSPS)

An accelerated action-oriented assessment of urban conditions in a city in order to reduce urban poverty and increase urban sustainability.

Territorial dimension of the Lisbon-Gothenburg strategy - ESPON project report

The study project on the Lisbon-Gothenburg strategy by the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON) identifies ways to complement economic growth and environmental sustainability. It offers insights in the consequences for spatial planning when policy efforts are aimed at working towards goals of competitiveness and sustainability at the same time. The report makes extensive use of maps and statistics of economic and geographical indicators. It presents recommendations for all levels of government in Europe. It is the first ESPON project to simultaneously address sustainability and competitiveness, and their implications for each other.

Place, Positioning and European Urban Policy Discourse

This PhD research examines the policy network around European area-based urban programmes and the processes of assigning and 'negotiating'meanings to cities, and ways of (self-)positioning, as shaped by various contexts.

The European URBAN Experience – Seen from the Academic Perspective

The URBACT programme presented the study 'The European URBAN Experience –Seen from the Academic Perspective'. It synthesises and discusses recent and current academic research on the implementation of the URBAN I and II programmes in different European countries and cities. The study provides an overview of academic research on the implementation of URBAN in different member states and cities.

Eurostat - Regions: Statistical yearbook 2006

'Regions: Statistical yearbook 2006' shows many aspects of this regional data and suggests in the various chapters some of the analyses which can be made with them.

A century for cities: the priorities for future success of the Core Cities in England

This document explains why the Core Cities are important to the success of their regions and country, why they need to respond to challenges differently to other cities, and what additional support they need.

Greater London Authority - powers and responsibilities for the Mayor and Assembly - UK

A policy statement which sets out the final package of proposals for additional powers and responsibilities to the Greater London Authority (GLA) – the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Dutch cities in 2015

In cooperation with RIGO Research and Advice, the Stichting Atlas voor Gemeenten (Atlas for Municipalities Foundation) composed an atlas that describes urbanisation in the Netherlands in the year 2015, entitled ´TheNetherlands in 2015: Material for exploring the future´.

Governance of Territorial and Urban Policies from EU to the local Level - ESPON project 2.3.2

The project focuses on the question how effective different territorial and urban planning systems are, considering a policy mix of spatial planning, local government powers and taxation policy and objectives such as a polycentric urban system, balancing urban-rural needs or urban regeneration.

Alternative approaches to neighbourhood management: six full case study reports - UK

This research report presents case studies from current neighbourhood management initiatives in England.

Bristol Accord - UK Presidency EU Ministerial Informal on Sustainable Communities

The conclusions to the EU Ministerial Meeting held on 6-7 December 2005, providing detail on the sustainable communities approach for EU member states.

Cities of the future - global competition, local leadership

'Cities of the future' analyses the core elements of a city’s strategic agenda. By doing so, it assists city leaders in developing a clear vision for the future development of their communities.

Urban Audit

The Urban Audit collects information on the living conditions in 258 large and medium-sized cities within the European Union and the candidate countries (EU27).

US policy for cities

This paper identifies the main ‘insights’ that could be helpful to those concerned with US public policy for cities.

National Urban Policy of Greece

National Urban Policy of Poland

National Urban Policy of Finland

National Urban Policy of Italy

National Urban Policy of Ireland

In Ireland the degree of urbanisation is low. The principal component of urban policy is the promotion of urban renewal and redevelopment. Compared to other parts of Europe, Ireland is very sparsely populated. Dublin, with 1 million inhabitants, has a very large percentage of the republic's population of 3.6 million. In Ireland, where rural and small town values are cherished, large scale urbanisation has been an unintended by-product of economic growth and modernisation. During the 1990s and the early 2000s, Ireland experienced unprecedented social, economic and demographic change which has been taking place in the absence of any pro-active, coherent urban policy. The result is a wide range of national programmes.

Evaluating the urban regeneration company Liverpool Vision - Liverpool, UK

The report evaluates the role played by urban regeneration company Liverpool Vision Ltd in the regeneration of Liverpool city centre.

Training for Elected Leadership Series: Key competencies for improving local governance

This series incorporates the major lessons learned and the substantial changes that have taken place in the roles and responsibilities of local governments and their leaders in the past decade.

District Józsefváros Magdolna-Neighbourhood, Social Regeneration Program / 2005-2008

The social regeneration scheme of Magdolna Neighbourhood in Józsefváros(District VIII.) is the Pilot Project of social regeneration in Budapest because of its complexity. The goal of the Project is to create a neighbourhood that is able to include and to provide a home for different classes and generations of ethnicity and social status, and to create an attractive quarter with a unique identity with the local people’s participation.

European Metropolitan Governance: Cities in Europe – Europe in the Cities

This report takes issue with two major topics that have gained in importance to cities over the last decade: first, the evolving relationship between cities and the European Union, and second, the rise of new forms of 'governance', be it at the local level or in the multi-level context of the European Union.

Dynamic Settlement System

The issues of settlement networks and territorial approach in development policy are undervalued. National policies have to be supported by research carried out for the country as a whole and investigating the characteristics of settlement development.

Cities Empower Europe - Common Framework on Future Urban Policy

During the Dutch Presidency of the European Union (EU) in 2004, the urban policy of the EU and the individual member states featured prominently on the agenda. This policy paper aims to inspire future co-operation on European urban policy.

Cities in the New EU Countries

On 1 May 2004, ten new countries joined the European Union. This expansion has been the biggest the EU has ever undertaken. In this report the focus is on cities, urban problems and urban policies.

National Urban Policies in the European Union

This publication aims to present the state of the art concerning explicit national urban policies in the member states of the European Union. The emphasis is on recent changes in national policies.

CARPE Guide to Responsible Procurement

The CARPE Guide to Responsible Procurement is a handbook for cities on green, ethical and social procurement.

Territorial Effects of the Structural Funds in Urban Areas – ESPON project 2.2.3

The research study developed a database as well as indicators, typologies and methodologies to assess the impacts of EU Structural Funds programmes on urban areas.

Evidence base review of skills for sustainable communities - UK

Identifies the number of people working in occupations required to plan, develop and maintain sustainable communities.

Urban Trialogues; Localising Agenda 21. Visions, Actions, Co-productions

A strategic urban planning approach with 4 case-studies; Bayamo (Cuba), Essaouira (Morocco), Vinh (Vietnam) and Nakuru (Kenya).

A Future for Urban Planning- in Habitat Debate Journal

Alternative and Cross-Cutting Planning Approaches to Sustain the Revival of Strategic Urban Planning

Future for Cities

This publication discusses three presentations on 'the future of cities', held during the UN-HABITAT Governing Council in 2003.

Partnership for Local Capacity Development: Building on the Experiences of City-to-City Cooperation

Decentralized Development Cooperation for Capacity Development of Local Authorities

Post-Communist City on its Way from Grey to Colourful

The paper is a case study of the city of Banska Bystrica in Slovakia in the light of political, socio-economic and cultural changes.

S.I.S.Te.M.A.- Multi-Action Integrated Development of Territorial Systems

The Programme’s name is an acronym for Multi-Action Integrated Development of Territorial Systems. It contributes to setting up innovative projects of territorial and environmental significance in cooperation with local authorities within the framework of regional planning. The Programme aims at enhancing the competitiveness through urban regeneration and the strengthening of partnership.

Innovations in Local Governance and Decentralization in East Africa: An Inventory

A joint effort of UN-HABITAT and the Ford Foundation, focusing on innovative practices in local government and decentralisation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Local Democracy and Decentralization in East and Southern Africa

This publication focuses on the lessons learnt from the decentralization processes in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Botswana.

The Regional Centre Programme in Finland

The Regional Centre Programme is a government special programme in accordance with the Regional Development Act.  Its objective is the establishment of a network of regional centres covering every region/province for the development of the strengths, specialisation and cooperation of urban regions. RCP is implemented in 34 regions.  

Building bridges between citizens and local governments to work more effectively together through participatory planning Part II - Toolkit

Toolkit for local governments, who aim to participatory develop an integrated long-range development plan, or an action plan to address more immediate problems within the local community.

Vision Planet, achieving greater spatial integration

By launching the Vision Planet project, financially supported by INTERREG and PHARE, the eleven partner countries wanted to provide themselves with a framework for analysis and projection in order to achieve greater spatial integration and a more coherent development of the regions forming this geographical entity.

Lille Action Programme

The Lille Action Programme is a proposal for a multi-annual programme of cooperation in urban affairs in the European Union. It was adopted at the informal meeting of ministers dealing with urban affairs in Lille on 3 November 2000.

Oslo Old Town - Community Participation in Environment Improvement

The Old Town of Oslo is reckoned to be one of the most deprived areas in Norway. Initiatives were taken to turn the trend of a negative development into a positive social, cultural and environmental development of Oslo Old Town by civic involvement and partnerships between national, municipal and local authorities and community organisations.

Backbone - Dodecanese, GR

The low population density on the islands of the Dodecanese increases running costs for public and private services, but the scattered pattern of habitation makes it essential to create a minimum level of services and infrastructure on each island. To encourage growth in these islands and reduce the gap with mainland Europe, a number of major projects have been launched locally with the help of funding from the ERDF - for example, the general hospital in Rhodes and the modernisation of Kos airport.

Reassessing Urban Planning and Development Regulations in African Cities

This publication attempts to review existing urban development planning regulations in Africa, and to identify some key factors that hinder the realization of sustainable urban development.

Public Private Partnership in Enabling Shelter Strategies

Public, Commercial Private and Non-Profit Private sector partnerships for urban development and housing.

Managing Secondary Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Traditional and Modern Institutional Arrangements

Assessing the role of traditional and community-based forms of urban management and their policy implications for local urban governance.