EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Building a community centre

Building a community centre – Dudelange, LU

Introduction

The city of Dudelange purchased a derelict building to serve, after renovation, as a community centre. It provides a meeting place for the local residents and houses social services.

Problem

Due to the decline of the coal and steel industry, the Petite Italie neighbourhood in Dudelange was faced with many abandoned industrial sites, derelict buildings, pollution, low average incomes and unemployment.

Description

The community centre was set up with significant citizen participation so that it would serve their most pressing needs. The community centre offers:

a meeting place for local residents;
after-school activities, such as sports and language courses;
a nursery school;
meals to children;
social services.

Through these activities, the community centre aims to tackle social exclusion.

Results

The specific focus of the centre on children has made it a real meeting point for children and their parents from the neighbourhood. In addition, it has improved local residents’ access to social services in the neighbourhood.

EU involvement

The total cost of the project was 632,000 euros. The URBAN I programme of the European Commission provided 271,000 euros.

Contact info

City of Dudelange
Phone: +352 (0)58 77 111
ville@dudelange.lu

Project start date

01/01/1994

Links

City of Dudelange (in French)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation