EUKN - Netherlands - The Kolpingbuurt: Our Neighbourhood’s Move

The Kolpingbuurt: Our Neighbourhood’s Move - Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Introduction

The Kolpingbuurt is a small, isolated, long-term disadvantaged neighbourhood. In the past it had a school, a local shop and a community centre, but cuts and natural decline have resulted in them disappearing one after the other. A neighbourhood survey in 1998 showed that the area has significant safety issues. The Kolpingbuurt is one of the three Nijmegen neighbourhoods where an ‘Our Neighbourhood's Move’ project is being run.

Description

The aim of the project is to improve safety on the streets as well as the quality of life in the neighbourhood. The project concerns the creation of a social infrastructure in which the involvement of the local people in their neighbourhood is increased and they actually take part in activities and projects in their neighbourhood.

Approach

Examples of activities include improving the squares and setting up a community office with a caretaker. Improving existing facilities such as sport and recreation for children and young people are key elements of this project.

Results

A lot is expected of the local people’s own contribution. They are responsible for implementing the plans, supported where necessary by the municipality and other bodies. An added sense of safety and self-reliance in the neighbourhood and improved accessibility to social support agencies for the local people are the expected result.

Resources used

European subsidy: € 492.241
Total cost: € 1.012.744

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

17/06/2002

Planned end date

31/08/2004

Links

Onze Buurt Aan Zet City of Nijmegen

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Keywords

Community development