On 15-18 June 2010, QeC-ERAN held its 22nd General Assembly meeting in Bobigny, in the premises of the prefecture of Seine Saint Denis and hosted by the Conseil Général de la Seine Saint Denis (CG93).
In terms of content, QeC-ERAN’s General Assembly mainly agreed on changing the name of the association into LUDEN, as for Local Urban Development European Network. Although the logo would remain the same, the perception of its overarching goals has significantly changed. This was done in order to cope with the new vision that drives nowadays the association over the new paradigm for local urban development. Indeed, the new EU2020 strategy is a global challenge that each level of governance in which should be taken into account the role of middle size cities as well as the growing empowerment of the intermediate local authorities. In terms of technical issues related to the change of name, it was also agreed that the administrative procedures would take around a year in order to be complete.
In terms of membership, Belfast City Council as well as City of Venice have withdrawn their membership, replaced by the Commune of Saint-Josse and with good perspective with welcoming the City of Modena next year.
Concerning our annual study tour, QeC-ERAN worked in close relation with the European Affairs Department of the CG93 to propose to the member an overall seminar alongside with study visits throughout the Seine Saint Denis department. 4 study tours were made with the overall topic of “transition town” and with the following subjects:
Transition in terms of environment
Transition in terms of social actions
Transition in terms of culture, economy and industry
Transition in terms of education and citizen’s participation
Indeed the Seine Saint Denis has been perceived for a long time as a regeneration area example, with huge work to be done. In 2010, by holding such study tours, it was a good opportunity for the members and all the invited guests to demystify such false and still nowadays overall perception from the outside, by having in-depth discussion and knowledge of the territory. More and more becoming a “Terre d’innovation”, the Conseil Général together with the local associations were able to reshape the social sphere and its prejudices around youth, culture, education or environment. The study tour was a real show-off of such success, although work has of course yet to be continued. Warm welcome has been given everywhere the members went to, including the welcome from the President of the CG93, Mr Claude Bartolone, as well as the two Vice-President of European Affairs, Mr Gilbert Rogier, and Vice-President of Housing, Mr Stéphane Troussel, and Mr. Patrick Braouzec, Elder Mayor of Saint-Denis and President of the “Pleine Commune” intercommunality.
Once again, we would like to thank the European Affairs Department of the CG93 and all the person involved in the development of such nice study tour. It has been agreed that next AGM would be held next year in Italy (Rome to be confirmed) with the topic of interculturalism.
7th October 2010LUDEN Open Days Week - A new Paradigm for Local Urban Development
This video is a compilation of different moments of the Open Days workshop that LUDEN held last month, during the Open Days Week. This video illustrates the theme of the debate “A New Paradigm for Urban Local Development".
Indeed, after 25 years of urban policy, we can see the contradiction of city renewal and revitalisation alongside growing inequality within and between localities. The thrust of urban policy was in fact the same as that for global policy, namely, “trickle down”. Expenditure in urban renewal would result in a process of trickle down so that all would benefit. In fact what we can clearly see is that a rising tide has not lifted all boats. Poverty levels have increased. There is greater social exclusion. Indeed what is also evident is that urban policy has supported gentrification and the displacement of problems to other more “invisible” parts of cities. This “waterbed effect” is well documented from research undertaken in several EU cities. The State of Cities report in 2008 also highlighted this aspect.
Current paradigm
New paradigm
Integrated approach in terms of process and objectives
Integrated also in terms of Outcomes
Growth model based on GDP
Progress based on social justice, equity and wellbeing
Infrastructure led
People led and focussed
Product innovation
Social innovation
Project focussed
Public Service focussed
Green growth
Sustainable bio-capacity
Competivity
Co-operation and mutuality
Mega cities
Medium and small urban centres
Privatisation
Social Economy
Social Integration
Inter-culturalism
Representative democracy
Participatory democracy
Administrative based governance
Functional Urban areas
In a sense we have had what can be called “voodoo” regeneration. Go to any city where there has been extensive urban regeneration and you will be confronted by infrastructure and architectural renewal. These zones of redevelopment have created a kind of “voodoo” effect in that suddenly cities are able to represent themselves in a new light. For example, take the city of Birmingham. Described in the late 1980’s as the “the dirty mark that a full bath tub leaves” into a thriving centre with new public spaces and extensive shopping areas and bars etc. However, once you step out of the voodoo zone then, it’s the same if not worse situation that existed in the 1980’s. Indeed, what is clear that the choice made was to spend on city centre renewal at the price of improving public services.
In that very perspective, QeC-ERAN has the desire to play a major role in the future EU policy. This year, not only our name and logo have changed: QeC-ERAN, now officially called LUDEN (as Local Urban Development European Network) has also new perspectives and overarching goals. After having focused during more than twenty years over integrated approaches in urban areas, LUDEN has the will to shape the EU2020 Strategy to the local expectation and realities. The hereabove table represent LUDEN’s goal in this shift that currently occurs throughout Europe in various forms, and more widely over the world and the last G20 discussions. While certain issues will only be solved at an EU or a global scale (such as worldwide financial governance, carbon-sources dependency or water deprivation), some others need further attention on the ground (tackling early school leaving, poverty, exclusion, access to social housing, implementing renewable energy sources strategy to meet local needs, etc.) . Our perception is that, through different European Funds combined with a step-by-step approach, we will be able to operate the shift by respecting the local expectation while fulfilling the European objectives, and by driving our members and project partner from the World War 2 paradigm into the New 2020 Paradigm.
6 October 2009QeC-ERAN Open Days Off- Café Debates and Non-VIP Reception
On 6 October 2009 QEC-ERAN scheduled, in conjunction with the Lisbon Region, its second edition of the OPEN DAYS OFF, an occasion for participants and actors operating in Urban regeneration projects to meet each other and exchanging views and opinions on topic like citizens and crisis and what the European Parliament can do to face one of the worst economic crisis of the last century.
The event was opened by Luisa Avedano on behalf of Ilda Curti (Deputy Mayor of Torino and President of the QEC-RAN Network) and Haroon Saad, Director of QEC-ERAN. During the evening several topics where discussed following a method called “Instigate and Debate”.
After the debates the night continued and the participants enjoyed a reception offered by the Lisbon Region and music in the artistic settings of the Beursshouwburg in Brussels.
18-19 March 2009, Prague:"Monitoring the Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy: EU 12 perspectives"
This QeC-ERAN workshop took place in Prague on 18 and 19 March 2009. The event formed part of a series of events that we are organising on the theme of the "urban dimension in EU Cohesion Policy". (See last meeting in Madrid, April 2008).
The European Commission has consistently emphasised the need to ensure that an "Urban Dimension" is mainstreamed within Operational Programmes. In the case of the EU 12 Member States, this "mainstreaming" in fact means that they are asked to use the "integrated approach", while never having been involved in the practice that generated the methodology.
Nevertheless it is clear that some EU 12 member states have sought to develop an urban dimension into their Operational Programmes and National Strategic Reference Frameworks and to encourage "integrated working".
The conference programme addressed several crucial questions as concerns the urban dimension in cohesion funds. It included speakers from DG Regio, the EP and Managing Authorities from Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland.
Fostering the urban dimension ,
Santiago García-Patrón Rivas , Deputy Head of Territorial Cohesion and Urban Actions Unit, DG Regional Policy, European Commission
The Urban Dimension in Slovenian Operational Plans: An Overview, Josip Mihalic, Head of Unit for European Regional Development Fund, Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy, Slovenia
On 7 October 2008 QeC ERAN organised "OPEN DAYS OFF - Caféstyle debates and NON-VIP reception". The event ran parallel to OPEN DAYS, an annual event hosted by the European Commission and EU Committee of the Regions. The aim of OPEN DAYS OFF was to break away from the institutionally determined debates of OPEN DAYS and to better harness its potential by creating a more interactive and informal way for participants to engage and discuss. OPEN DAYS OFF was held in the Brussels Arts Center, Beursschouwburg, which provided a relaxed atmosphere were participants actively engaged in a series of rolling debates on issues high on the EU agenda.
One of the first debates was on the issue of climate change. It is now commonly recognised that climate change is indeed happening and that it represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet. In response to this threat, the European Union is working towards a global agreement to control climate change, and claims to be leading the way and taking ambitious action of its own. Eivind Hoff from the Environmental Foundation Bellona, an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1986, initiated the first debate and argued that EU policy on climate change was ineffective.
Running parallel to the climate change debate, MEP Jan Olbrycht discussed with participants whether the European Parliament was indeed a representative body. This discussion was held in connection with next year's election to the European Parliament (4 to 7 June 2009) in the 27 member states of the European Union. A survey carried out by Eurobarometer noted that one out of five European citizens was not aware at all that there are European elections and only around 30% of citizens responded that they will definitely vote in the upcoming elections.
Other debates looked at whether the Lisbon Strategy was creating greater exclusion and poverty with Professor Harris Beider from the Institute of Community Cohesion, UK, leading the debate. Jan Olbrycht, MEP, Peter Ramsden, Urbact expert, and Elvira Sweet, Mayor of South East Amsterdam initiated the discussion on whether the mainstreaming of cohesion policy had weakened the "urban dimension" and what needed to be done in order to strengthen the urban dimension in the next programming period.
The final debate was on the Irish no vote to the draft Lisbon treat in June this year which threw the EU into a political crisis. Anthony Coughlan from the Irish National Platform, argued that the Irish were right to say NO. Fergal O Regan, from the Institute of International and European Affairs, put forward arguments why the Irish should have voted in favour of the EU treaty. For more information about the speakers please click here for the speakers' profiles>>
During the event participants were asked to give their opinions on these debates. We have sampled a selection of these opinions which have been published below>>.
The debates were followed by a party were participants carried on the debates in smaller circles, networked and generally had fun. The event attracted over 200 participants from representational offices, EU institutions, journalists, NGOs and other organisations working in Brussels.
For more information about QeC-ERAN please visit our website or get in contact with Isabella Haaf, Communication and Information Manager.
During the event participants were asked to give their opinions on these debates. We have sampled a selection of these opinions. Please play the video clip below to listen to participants' comments.
2-3 April 2008, Madrid:"Monitoring the Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy: Spanish and Portuguese perspectives"
This year's first QeC ERAN network workshop took place at the European Parliament offices in Madrid, Spain on 2 and 3 April 2007.
With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This marks an appropriate time to see if the goals of mainstreaming are being translated into Local/regional Plans.
Qec ERAN was organising this event in partnership with CIREM, a Spanish network working on Urban Regeneration issues. The event will focus on Spain and Spanish city case studies in order to review how the new arrangements are working. Alongside this, the conference will also present an opportunity to view how Spanish Urban Development reflects the typology of city development reflected in the "State of the Cities" Report produced by ECOTEC for DG REGIO.
4 October, Brussels: "Integrated Urban Development: Methodologies and Resources"
On 4th October the QeC ERAN workshop on "Integrated Urban Development: Methodologies and Resources" took place at the Lazio Region EU offices in Brussels. With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This workshop sought to support the development of integrated urban development by presenting Masterplanning as a methodology and also to highlight the resources that are available for integrated urban development through the Jessica financial tool established by the EC and the EIB.
19 September 2007, Antwerp: The Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy QeC ERAN organised a half day workshop targeted at Dutch and Belgium (Flanders) cities highlighting the challenges and changes which EU policy seeks to address. In particular, the goal of the workshop was to examine the Dutch and Belgium National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans in relation to the Urban Dimension. In addition the workshop provided a summary of the recently released report on "The State of European Cities".
QeC ERAN organised a workshop on "Skills for Sustainable and Competitive Urban Development".The experience emerging from 16 years of Urban Regeneration practice through the EU URBAN and UPPs programmes has highlighted the need for developing the skills of actors from a variety of sectors and levels in relation to sustainable placemaking. The workshop brought together a number of initiatives being undertaken across the EU to address this skills gap. Speakers from the Council of Europe, OECD, Academy for Sustainable Communities (UK), and Scottish Centre for Regeneration-Communities Scotland contributed to the event. QeC-ERAN also launched the results of a unique skills and training audit undertaken of over 200 actors involved in Urban Regeneration.
© 2010 - European Regeneration Areas Network - Quartiers en Crise
ident of the QEC-RAN Network) and Haroon Saad, Director of QEC-ERAN. During the evening several topics where discussed following a method called “Instigate and Debate”.
With the mainstreaming of EU Cohesion Policy, the EC has sought to ensure that the best practice developed through the URBAN programme can be sustained through the Community Strategic Guidelines. Member States have now produced National Strategic Reference Frameworks and Operational Plans for the new programming period. This marks an appropriate time to see if the goals of mainstreaming are being translated into Local/regional Plans.