EMI introduces the tool: Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour

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. This tool will give you tailor-made answers to your questions; learn from the experiences of other cities! Moreover, this tool gives you the chance to share your specific experiences with other urban areas and to give exposure to your city’s best practices. Let EMI do the work for you: submit your questions and be assured of a reply after 2 weeks. The more cities participating, the more useful the Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour tool will be. So, join us!

How can you participate in Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour?

1. E-mail the questions you have about your urban area’s challenges and experiences to: askyoururbanneighbour@emi-network.eu 
2. EMI will distribute the questions to a network of European cities with the request to reply within 2 weeks.
3. Send your response to questions from other urban areas to: askyoururbanneighbour@emi-network.eu 
4. After 2 weeks EMI will send all cities involved the overview of the answers by e-mail. The overview will also be published on our EMI-website. 

Start using the Ask-Your-Urban-Neighbour tool today! Reply to the questions from the Hague:

1. The city of The Hague in the Netherlands would like to receive your response on the 2 questions as stated below. 
2. Send your responses to these questions to askyoururbanneighbour@emi-network.eu  before 7th of February 2011.

Question 1: Bipolar metropolitan areas

The city of The Hague is closely working together with the city of Rotterdam on a range of policies and challenges. The realization of the “Rotterdam-The Hague airport” and a direct tramline between the two city centres are two examples of this stronger cooperation. The cities combined have a total of 3 mln inhabitants that live within a range of20kmof both city centres. The two cities both have topuniversities and schools, a broad cultural base and good international accessibility. They, however, do not yet fully work as one region on a daily basis. Due to the foreseen urbanization this is set to change in the future. The challenge for The Hague and Rotterdam is (how) to join forces and create a stronger cooperation.
The city of The Hague is looking for cities with a similar bipolar (geographical) structure that are also looking into ways of closer cooperation. Does your city finds itself in a similar situation? If so, with respect to which challenges is your city seeking closer cooperation, which difficulties exist and above all, which ´best practices´ can you identify.

Question 2:City of International Peace and Justice

The city of The Hague is known as the international city of justice and peace. Policies and activities in The Hague are targeted towards not only safeguarding this position, but especially towards strengthening it. The Hague is home to a lot of international and European organizations, international tribunals and non-governmental organizations(NGOs). Moreover, The Hague has put forward its candidacy to become Europe’s Cultural Capitalin2018inwhich peace and justice will be important themes. Does your city also has a strong international profile or is your city also working towards creating such a profile? What are the main difficulties your city is facing with respect to this process?

EMI: ´Research based, practice led´

There is a need to strengthen the connections between urban professionals, scientists and EU policy makers in Europe. With a research based, practice led guiding principle, EMI tackles urban issues related to urban economy, sustainability, social cohesion, mobility and polycentrism in order to make urban regions stronger.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Please forward this e-mail to all people within your urban area or other urban areas that can answer the above two questions.

Would you like to get to know more about EMI? Visit our website and Join our network.