EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - The European URBAN Experience

The European URBAN Experience – Seen from the Academic Perspective

Introduction

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.

Description

“The European URBAN Experience” looks at the implementation of URBAN I & II programmes in different European cities and countries. It focus on three themes:

URBAN and Governance
URBAN and Local Empowerment
URBAN as a Transnational Programme

The report contains an extensive bibliography of important research on the URBAN I & II programmes.

Background information

The study report aims at introducing and resuming recent and current academic research on the implementation of URBAN I & II programmes in different European cities and countries. In this research area there was a lack of systematic recording of available literature and a lack of communication or networking among the researchers. This study aims to fill that research gap.

Conclusions

There is broad agreement that despite being relatively low-funded and despite the restricted number of cities participating in the programme, URBAN has decisively influenced and advanced the Europeanisation of urban policy. Especially in the field of organisational structures and routines of proceeding the URBAN programme has changed the face of urban policy in Europe.

At the same time the studies point to a variety of different URBAN experiences. The effects of URBAN are as different as the urban-political realities in Europe. Accordingly, many studies focus their investigations on analysing basic domestic conditions and regulations. Particularly national and local conditions were decisive for the success of the European programme.

Contact info

Humboldt University - Institute of Social Sciences
Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank (Project leader)

Publication date

20/10/2006

Links

The URBACT Programme website Humboldt University - Institute of Social Sciences

The European URBAN Experience – Seen from the Academic Perspective (PDF, Eng, 0.9 MB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords