urbact ii: actualities in 2012 iván tosics thematic pole manager [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
URBACT II
European Programme of Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013 (jointly financed by ERDF and Member States – budget 69 M€ )
Main objective To promote Integrated & Sustainable Urban Development
Operational objectives
To facilitate exchange and learning among EU cities
To draw lessons, build knowledge based on cities' experience
(capitalization) & disseminate good practices and lessons learnt
To support policy-makers and practitioners to improve
policies for sustainable urban development (capacity building)
Main tool: Networks (8-12 partners – 33 months – 800.000 €)
URBACT = the only ETC programme dedicated to
transnational cooperation & capitalisation on urban issues
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Fostering the impact of the programme on urban policies: the « URBACT method »
1) TRANSNATIONAL EXCHANGE
Sharing experience, learning, drawing lessons for « the outside world »
A strict balance between Comp and Conv partners
Action-oriented: Local Action Plans
Involving local stakeholders: URBACT Local Support Groups
Involving Managing Authorities
Permanent support to networks & community of work (experts, Secretariat)
A staged approach: networks created in 2 stages (6-month Development phase)
2)CAPITALISATION
Project level (expert support, baseline study)
Programme level: clustering of networks, experts animating thematic clusters
3) COMMUNICATION & DISSEMINATION
Project level: projects responsible for Comm° & Dissemination
Programme level: a flagship website hosting all projects’ websites, annual events, publications, National Dissemination Points
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Implementation to date
3 calls for proposals
2008: 19 thematic networks & 7 working groups (completed)
2010: 9 thematic networks (ongoing, end of implement° phase)
2012: 19 thematic networks (dvpt phase)
540 partners involved in approved projects
90% cities
Predominance of small & medium size cities
28 Member/ Partner states covered
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Geographical coverage
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
3rd call
2nd call
1rst call
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Thematic coveragePercentage of created projects per theme
Environmental issues12%
Entrepreneurship9%
Social inclusion
18%
Innovation and Knowledge Economy
20%
Urban Planning21%
Integrated development of deprived areas
9%
Employment and Human Capital
11%
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Achievements to date
1. Project level Thematic outputs delivered by 26 completed projects
3800 persons involved in Local support groups (call 1 and Call 2 only)
250 Local Action Plans delivered (call 1 only)
2. Programme level Thematic outputs (Cities responses to the crisis 2010, URBACT
results 2011)
4 Annual conferences
First Summer University for URBACT Local Support Groups (2011)
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Important specialities of URBACT projects
› All URBACT II project partners must establish and lead a Local Support Group (ULSG). The ULSG assembles the main interested parties and local actors concerned by the specific topic which is the focus for the project.
› Project partners are also responsible to develop their Local Action Plan (LAP). Each partner develops a LAP in order to respond to local urban issues with the hope of increasing the impact of URBACT exchanges on local policies and practises.
› The method to create LAP with ULSG is a different knowledge creation than just to collect existing knowledge
› The involvement of both the ULSG and the remaining project partners creates a ‘peer review’ approach which helps to ensure quality and richness of the LAPs.
URBACT innovation: ULSGs
The total number of persons involved in the 201 ULSGs (Call 1 and Call 2) amounts to 3.800 members.
The size of ULSGs ranges from small groups with 6-8 members to large groups involving 20-25 members. On average, ULSGs gather between 10 and 15 persons
ULSGs involve a great variety of stakeholders:
›over 1/3 of ULSG members (35%) are representatives of the local administration, while 11% of national and regional level
›civil society gives almost 1/4 of ULSG members (22%)
›the private sector gives more than 11% of ULSG members
ULSG composition: the weak points
Weak point of ULSG composition: the low participation of elected representatives (5% only of the ULSG members).
Even so 60% of partners report the participation of elected officials to some of the ULSG meetings.
This figure is slightly below 50 % for Managing Authorities.
Almost 50% of the ULSG members do speak English.
ULSGs: activities
Main activities of the ULSGs:
›coproduction of the Local Action Plan: 94%
›validation of the Local Action Plan: 86%
›preparation of input for transnational exchanges: 78%
ULSG linkages to transnational activities:
›preparation of input for network seminars (LAPs and case studies): 78%
›travel and visit partner cities: 76%
›participation to network seminars: 71%
›participation to URBACT programme events (Annual conference, City Labs, etc.): 61%
ULSGs: perceptions
Intangible: new partnerships/ ways of working (ULSG survey 2011)
›« 90% declare ULSG has fostered the integrated approach »
›« 86% declare ULSG played a useful role in developing LAP »
›« 85% foresee ULSG will continue to operate after end of network »
URBACT innovations: LAP
250 Local Action Plans delivered (call 1 only)
LAP implementation is a major issue (Mid Term Evaluation 2010)
›« 20% declare having received funds from OP for LAP implement° »
›« 60% declare having no secure funding for LAP implementation »
Difficult for partners to link Local Action Plans to funds available in the OP (structure, calendar issues, etc.)
From LAPs to EU funded projects
There is a need to reinforce cooperation with MAs
Local capacities to develop participative action planning and integrated urban policies have to be strengthened
›Besides continuing URBACT Summer University new ideas: National capacity-building scheme for ULSG members to start in 2013 with 3rd call partners; Pilot Training Scheme for elected representatives in 2013
Analyses of ERDF projects (50 case study analysis, ERDF housing) show that many of the most successful, integrated projects come from URBACT (or Interreg) projects
›even so, the share of ERDF financed URBACT projects remains low…
URBACT II Capitalisation on urban experience and knowledge
URBACT Project Results published 2011 (Projects call 1)
URBACT final conferences and events (Projects call 2)
URBACT Workstreams launched 2012•URBACT’s answers for integrated & sustainable urban development to urban threats (report “Cities of Tomorrow”)•To identify, harness and transfer good practices from other ETC programmes (INTERREG IVC, ESPON, INTERACT) and relevant organisations• To issue practical recommendations to support European cities
Threats (CoT)
Demographic declineEconomic dvpt & competitiveness under pressure
Growing social polarisation
Depletion of natural ressources
Responses
6 URBACTWorkstreams
Workstream 1
Demographic challenge
in urban dvpt
Workstream 2
Cities for more & better jobs
Workstream 3
Inclusion through
social innovation
Workstream 4
Addressing socio-spacial polarisation
Workstream 5
Sustainable mobility & accessibility
Workstream 6
Energy efficiency in housing
Resources for capitalisation with workstreams
Knowledge Resources
• URBACT projects (Call 1, Call 2, Call 3)
• Projects of other ETC programmes
• Inputs from other relevant organisations (OECD, CIVITAS, CECODHAS, Eurocities, etc)
Human Resources
• 1 coordinator per workstream (URBACT Pole Manager or expert)
• A core group of up to 7 people: URBACT community (experts and city partners), ETC projects, EU/other organisations
• Expert witnesses (for hearings)
Activities and outputsRoadmap for each work stream will include
• 3 core group meetings (April-May, June, September)
• 2 hearings with expert witnesses
• Possible participation in important EU events (Open days, UN
Habitat conference, others)
• URBACT annual conference (3-4 Dec 2012)
Outputs will include
• 1 article per workstream for the URBACT Tribune 2012
• Workshops in the URBACT annual conference
• Enriched thematic papers in January 2013
• Policy papers (early 2013)
URBACT Annual Conference 2012
Copenhagen, 3-4 December 2012
Monday, 3 December, from 12.00
›Opening (Mayor, Minister, DG Regio, Commissioner)
›Six paralel interactive workshops (1st round)
›The European urban model in comparison: US, South American, African, Asian comparative examples
Tuesday, 4 December, until 16.15
›EU responses to urban challenges (European Parliament, URBACT MC chair, DG Regio, Mayor)
›URBACT Café
›Six paralel interactive workshops (2nd round)
›Solving the urban policy puzzle (workshop reporting back)
›Towards URBACT III
