When you hear about the URBACT programme, does it sound like an abstract thing that wouldn’t be of any use to you? Check out these suggestions. You may be surprised to find out what this program can do for you!
3. Are you an urban practitioner or a student?
Know what different cities prioritize in their agendas, and offer your skills. What can you do to help them fulfill their expectations and what can you offer as solutions to their problems?
- See which topics URBACT projects are about.
Find committed technicians and politicians related to your skills and interests. Know who you can work with in different cities. If they are implementing a local action plan, it’s a great indicator of their actual commitment.
- Check out this map if you want to find active or previous URBACT cities.
Learn methodologies and tools for participatory and integrated policy making. Propose implementing some of them in your city or adapt them to your own work in urban planning, and empower yourself and your fellow citizens.
- For example, Local Support Groups can be built around certain projects.
Understand how policies work and how they can be used for sustainable urban development. Know the rules of the urban game. Know the agents and actions involved in the complex process of creating an integrated urban policy. Dive into each project’s documents.
- As an example, have a look at the outputs from the Active Travel Network.
These are just a few suggestions on how you could take advantage of URBACT’s open knowledge and transparency principles, which leave all the working documents and results exposed for you to review, reuse and adapt. We are sure you can find even more creative and productive ways of using all of the information that is available. Will you miss this opportunity?
Are you not a practitioner or a student? Check the other articles in this series, specifically aimed at decision makers or elected representatives, public employees or municipal technicians, and citizens, activists or users.
Is—or was—your city a part of URBACT? Find out here!
If not, invite your local representatives to join the URBACT Infodays!
