The area is characterized by inhabitants with a variety of social problems – low income, unemployment, large population of immigrants, large number of people on transfer income.

Housing in the area is dominated by non-profit housing. Apart from a small shopping centre, local institutions such as schools, day care and general practitioners, there are no local job opportunities.

The housing areas are characterised by fairly large homogeneous housing estates with modern and well kept apartments. Physically the area is built in closed formations, not opening up to the outside world, creating a non welcoming environment. Furthermore there is in general a lack of meeting places for social and cultural interaction, i.e. there is no commercial café in the area, neither is there enough space and opportunities for meeting and socializing.

A recent survey among residents indicates that people in general are satisfied with living in the area. This collides with the overall image the area has among non-residents. The image problem is another big challenge.

However, the area holds a lot of resources and there is a sustainable volunteer network in the community. Together with the well organised non-profit housing associations in the area, there is a lot of activity going on, i.e. local TV-station, a monthly magazine distributed to all households, internet association, home work assistance, cafés, a full time counsellor assisting the local volunteers and activities for children and youngsters. This means that there is a tradition for taking action in everyday life in the area.

The area was selected because it is, on the one hand, a community with an indication of social and cultural problems. On the other hand the area holds a lot of resources in a broad sense, which can form the foundation for a City renewal program – and make it sustainable.

The purpose of the physical and planning measures in the area are: 

Furthermore, the programme has a focus on how to establish a close and strong cooperation between the municipality and the local community for several reasons, including:

Several hundreds of the inhabitants have joined one or more of the workshops related to the program, which has resulted in more than 30 very different projects – a new community centre, different drop in centres, playgrounds, different image projects, a lot of different social and cultural activities, etc.

One of the most innovative experiences has been in relation to involving the local youngsters, where the program through delegation of responsibility and mutual trust have created new local partnerships and a very dedicated team of positive local role models. Role models who today work to prevent crime and unemployment, and who furthermore manage two local drop in centres for young boys/men with immigrant background.

Involving the local residents has been more difficult than expected. Especially families with children and adult immigrants have been difficult to motivate to take active part in planning and developing of the program. The primary cause seems to be lack of time and cultural differences - especially the tradition with a large number of long meetings seem to scare off people.

Another issue which has been difficult to solve/change, is the areas bad reputation/image among outsiders. An image which is challenged by the fact that recent local image studies show that more than 90% of the residents are satisfied or very satisfied with living in the "Kvarterløft" area.

The overall approach is a bottom-up strategy within the area. This has been done in various ways; open and often very long meetings, theme oriented meetings, cooperation with local organisations, volunteers, non-profit housing associations and with local public institutions (schools, day care etc.).

Focus is also on supporting local networks, i.e. to assist a group of young people in starting a drop-in centre for youngsters in the area.
There has also been a broad introduction to the area renewal program through public meetings, meetings in associations and institutions, through the local press and media and the library to make people aware of the programme and inviting them to join in the process.
Establishing opportunities for social and cultural meeting and interaction has been another approach.

The project has been integrating in several ways:

The programme is financed partially by the government, partially by the municipality. Other resources have been applied for and granted by public and private funds to some of the projects in the programme. These have mainly been single donations, which have not led to any cooperation.

It is important to recognise that people need to be approached in different ways in order to get them involved. In attempt to involve immigrants this meant trying alternative ways of meeting people, i.e. through existing associations, using contacts in the area to "spot" key figures to function as ambassadors for the program or specific projects.

Physical strategies to improve physical problems
The program itself has only had a small focus on physical strategies, such as playgrounds, improving accessibility within the housing areas. The physical renewal of the housing is taken care of by the non-profit housing associations. However a project where a road has been removed has in itself changed the area a lot and given the opportunity to build alternative (private) housing, a Community Centre and revitalising the city centre which has never been finished.

Physical strategies to improve social problems
The above mentioned physical development can be seen in a broader perspective. It will add quality to the area, creating the needed space and opportunity for social and cultural meeting and thereby indirectly improve social problems.

Physical strategies to improve economic problems
One of the ideas with the development of the area is in the long run to change the economic and social profile of the inhabitants and attract investors to the area.

Apart from the Community Centre the physical strategies have had fairly low priority in a financial sense. However in the long run it will probably be quite a significant change for the area.

In general the program has resulted in an increase in household income, decrease in migration, newcomers have higher incomes than people leaving the area, decreasing unemployment and generally satisfied inhabitants in the area.

On a more qualitative scale it has been a key result that the programme has succeeded in reaching a new group of people – young boys with immigrant background. Some of them are now working as role models and have established two drop-in centres for different age groups.

As mentioned above there has during the program been an increase in household income etc.

In general the results conform to the expectations, especially regarding the social and economic expectations – increased employment and income etc.
An expectation that has not been fulfilled yet, concerns attracting business or an educational institution to the area. This means, there has not been developed new opportunities for employment in the area. The physical development plans, however, may be an opportunity for this to happen in the near future.

Cooperation with the local community has given greater ownership for the program in the area. The interdisciplinary cooperation has secured more holistic and sustainable solutions.

The limitation in funds is nearly always a limitation in a programme like this one. Getting the inhabitants involved has been more difficult than expected, especially families with younger children, young people in general and immigrants.

Primarily the people living and using the area, secondary the municipality as a whole.

Financially the program had 33.5 million. DKR. On top of this some funds and the Municipality of Brøndby have contributed. That means in total so far the budget has been 54 mill. DKR.

Furthermore volunteers from the area, the administration, local institutions, associations and networks.

The municipality of Brøndby
Pia Wallbohm Blådal (Project manager), tel. +45 43282095

01/01/2001

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Urban renewal