The URBACT programme currently runs 23 National URBACT Points covering 26 countries across the European Union. The number is expected to grow in the near future. The National URBACT Points, represented by Ministries, Associations of Cities, Universities, or consultancies, are in charge of communicating on and supporting URBACT-related activities and integrated urban development in their […]
Posts Tagged ‘Participation’
How a regulation turned Bologna’s civic pride into action
An association of Bologna women turned an unused city-owned building into an ‘ethical boutique’. It’s one result of a new city policy that encourages citizens to volunteer their time and talents while governing their use of public assets. (Rete Civica Iperbole) A few years ago, a group of women in their 50s living near Bologna’s […]
Lights on Riga
Riga, Latvia’s capital, was the European Capital of Culture this year, together with Umea in Sweden. Those particular spotlights are almost about to go out, although they will immediately be replaced by those drawn by the European Council Presidency, which Latvia will take on starting January 2015. But there’s still a month and a half […]
Getting Residents Involved in Improving Public Spaces: Lessons Learned
Residents’ involvement is vital in developing public spaces. Who better than the residents can talk about what they need, say what is not working, and suggest improvements? It is the residents who actually use the public spaces and their expert practical knowledge is invaluable. The majority of the URBACT USER network partner cities report that […]
Cities were Meant for People: Change and Conflicts in Using Public Space
Public spaces, as a place where public life and communication unfurl, create a distinctive image of a particular society. The way they are created, used and maintained tells us about the intensity and nature of relations between members of the society. Our presence or absence, our behaviour and the intensity of usage reflect our participation […]
How to Create ‘Exercise-friendly’ Environments (Spoiler: Network!)
That is not what we’d call a news: exercise is important for public health. That is why it is particularly interesting for cities to think about how they can create ‘exercise-friendly’ environments. Between 2011 and 2013, 9 Dutch cities were involved in a pilot study into the creation of exercise friendly public space, including: Almere, […]
Urban Planning And The Multi-dimensional Communication Era
« Because urban planning has always been based on the gathering and exchange of information and – as a democratic process – on communication between different stakeholders, a change in the method of communication has a significant impact on decision-making throughout the process ». (Stefan Höffken and Chris Haller) By now, you probably have heard […]
Participation – necessary, complex and fun
Participation is a key element in all modern Urban Development Strategies. Just asking people to vote a local council every four or five years is no longer good enough. People want to have a say in all aspects concerning their neighbourhood from school to traffic and new buildings. Older models of participation like Arnstein’s “Ladder […]
Authors
Aidan Cerar
Aldo Vargas
Alice Ferguson
Alina Andreea Băileşteanu
Alison Partridge
Amy Labarrière
Ana Resende
Anais de Muret- ALL AUTHORS
