Connecting cities Building successes

URBACT has its HERO.  A clever name for an ambitious URBACT Project which  has published a strategy paper entitled “The Untapped potential of cultural heritage – a Catalyst for Sustainable Urban Development and an Internationally Competitive Europe”. The document makes the case for a strong urban dimension as part of EU Cohesion Policy with a special focus on cultural heritage and historic urban landscapes. It calls for support and investment in integrated and sustainable urban development. The aim :  to ensure Europe’s historic towns and cities are attractive places to live, work and invest in, fully able to respond to the global challenges of the 21st century and beyond.

In order to give input for the next EU funding period, the HerO partner cities Graz, Naples. Vilnius, Sighisoara, Liverpool, Lublin, Poitiers, Valletta and Regensburg have conjointly submitted the document to the EU Commission. Indeed, Hero project urge the EU to adopt several recommendations as:

• Priority should be given to securing integrated urban development with urban cultural heritage at its heart.
• Urban cultural heritage should be an integral part of the European Cohesion Policy and programs as well of the national and regional operational programs
• Priority should be given to the integration of European Funding Schemes and National Funding Programs.
• Stronger participation and involvement of historic cities in policy development and evaluation of programs addressing cultural heritage.

We wish that these recommendations will  hold the Commission’s interest…

 Anne-Laure Guignard