EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Discovering ICT close to home

Discovering ICT close to home - Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Introduction

Digital Playgrounds ('Digitale Trapveldjes') is a pilot project with five locations that have been set up to offer the inhabitants of the neighbourhood the opportunity to learn about ICT on their doorstep. The Digital Playground concept is being run on a national scale, with the Nijmegen project forming a pilot.

Description

The project is aimed at making the job market accessible and promoting the social participation of vulnerable groups. This is being done by offering opportunities for learning about ICT, PCs and the internet. Special attention will be given to providing equal opportunities for ethnic minorities.

Approach

The low-threshold nature and recognisable set-up of digital playgrounds will stimulate people from vulnerable groups to learn about ICT and help them to gain skills in the use of PCs and the internet. Five multifunctional facilities are being created for vulnerable groups, where around 1600 people from these groups can learn about ICT, PCs and the internet.

Results

If the five facilities can reach around 1600 people, the project will have achieved 83% of its maximum intended effect.

Resources used

European subsidy: € 431.960
Total cost: € 883.471

EU involvement

This project has been partially funded with Objective 2 funds. Since 2000 nine cities have been eligible for the Objective 2 Urban Areas in the Netherlands programme, which forms part of the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRD) of the European Union. EFRD is one of the four Structural Funds of the European Commission. The programme helps cities to carry out projects that benefit disadvantaged areas.

In the Netherlands, total European Objective 2 subsidies concern 192 million euros. 4.25% of the Dutch population lives in the selected areas.

The European Commission prescribes that for every euro from the EFRD, a minimum of one euro must be contributed from the government. The cities must therefore add their own public or private funding to the European subsidy. The European programme is linked to the urban plans agreed within the context of the urban policy of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. For this, the cities can make use of funds that have been allocated to them in the context of the national urban policy.

Contact info

Nijmegen Kanaalgebied - local programme management
Phone: +31 24 3292065

Project start date

01/09/2000

Links

City of Nijmegen

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Skills improvement