EN Cities of tomorrow Challenges, visions, ways forward October 2011 EN Cities of tomorrow Challenges, visions, ways forward October 2011 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. 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ISBN: 978-92-79-21307-6 doi:10.2776/41803 European Commission, Directorate General for Regional Policy Unit C.2 - Urban Development, Territorial Cohesion Wladyslaw Piskorz E-mail: regio-urban-territorial@ec.europa.eu Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/citiesoftomorrow/index_en.cfm Unit B.1 – Communication, Information, Relations with Third Countries Raphaël Goulet Avenue de Tervuren 41 B - 1040 Brussels Fax: +32 22966003 E-mail: regio-info@ec.europa.eu Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm The opinion expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. Cities of tomorrow Challenges, visions, ways forward Cities of tomorrow Challenges, visions, ways forward Cities of tomorrow -Challenges, visions, ways forward Preface More than two thirds of the European population lives in urban areas. Cities are places where both problems emerge and solutions are found. They are fertile ground for science and technology, for culture and innovation, for individual and collective creativity, and for mitigating the impact of climate change. However, cities are also places where problems such as unemployment, segregation and poverty are concentrated. We need to better understand the challenges that different European cities will face in the years ahead. This is why I decided to bring together a number of urban experts and representatives of European cities to think about the future. This report is the outcome of that reflection. It raises awareness of the possible future impacts of a range of trends, such as demographic decline and social polarisation, and the vulnerability of different types of cities. It also highlights opportunities and the key role cities can play in achieving EU objectives – especially in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy. It presents some inspirational models and visions. It also confirms the importance of an integrated approach to urban development. The ‘Cities of tomorrow’ reflection process will provide inspiration for policymakers and practitioners involved in urban development, whether at local, regional, national or European level. Looking ahead and developing visions of the cities of tomorrow is becoming increasingly important at all levels. The development of our cities will determine the future of Europe. Johannes Hahn, Member of the European Commission in charge of Regional Policy Contributors We would like to thank all the contributors to the Cities of tomorrow reflection process, whether as participants and presenters in the three workshops that were organised in May, June, October and December 2010, or through written contributions in the form of issue papers or responses to our expert consultations.* Isabel André University of Lisbon Thierry Baert Agence d’urbanisme de Lille métropole Alessandro Balducci University of Milan Catalin Berescu ‘Ioan Mincu’ University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest Fiona Bult Bilbao Metropoli-30 Antonio Calafati Universita Politecnica delle Marche Pierre Calame Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer pour le progres de l’Homme Jennifer Cassingena Malta Council for Science and Technology Patrick Crehan CKA Brussels Philippe Destatte The Destrée Institute Jean-Loup Drubigny URBACT Secretariat Dominique Dujols CECODHAS Housing Europe Martin Eyres City of Liverpool Elie Faroult Independent consultant Sonia Fayman ACT Consultants Birgit Georgi European Environment Agency Grzegorz Gorzelak Warsaw University Sir Peter Hall University College London Tomasz Kayser City of Poznañ Krisztina Keresztély ACT Consultants Clemens Klikar Stadt Menschen Berlin Vanda Knowles EUROCITIES Moritz Lennert Université Libre de Bruxelles Bernhard Leubolt University of Vienna * This report was prepared by Corinne Hermant-de Callatay and Christian Svanfeldt under the supervision of Wladyslaw Piskorz and Santiago Garcia-Patron Rivas, European Commission, Directorate General for Regional Policy, 'Urban Development, Territorial Cohesion' unit. Cities of tomorrow -Challenges, visions, ways forward Heinrich Mäding ex-Director Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik Gérard Magnin Energy Cities Karel Maier Czech Technical University Prague Torsten Malmberg City of Stockholm Simon Marvin University of Salford Frank Moulaert Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Rémy Nouveau City of Lille Andreas Novy University of Vienna Stijn Oosterlynck Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Beth Perry University of Salford Yaron Pesztat Member of Brussels Parliament Angelika Poth-Mögele Council of European Municipalities and Regions Anne Querrien URBAN-NET Francisca Ramalhosa Porto Vivo, Sociedade de Reabilitaçao Urbana John S. Ratcliffe The Futures Academy Joe Ravetz University of Manchester Stefan Rettich KARO*, Leipzig Gerda Roeleveld Deltares Karl-Peter Schön Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development, Germany Antonio Serrano Rodriguez Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Manfred Sinz Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung Uno Svedin Stockholm University Roey Sweet University of Leicester Ludìk Sýkora Charles University in Prague Nuria Tello Clusella EUROCITIES Jacques Theys French ministry of ecology, energy, sustainable development and regional planning Iván Tosics Metropolitan Research Institute, Budapest Ronan Uhel European Environment Agency Michaël Van Cutsem The Destrée Institute Jan Vranken University of Antwerp Martin Zaimov City of Sofia Marie Zezùlková City of Brno Executive summary Cities are key to the sustainable development of the European Union . Europe is one of the most urbanised continents in the world. Today, more than two thirds of the European population lives in urban areas and this share continues to grow. The development of our cities will determine the future economic, social and territorial development of the European Union. . Cities play a crucial role as engines of the economy, as places of connectivity, creativity and innovation, and as centres of services for their surrounding areas. Due to their density, cities offer a huge potential for energy savings and a move towards a carbon-neutral economy. Cities are, however, also places where problems such as unemployment, segregation and poverty are concentrated. Cities are, therefore, essential for the successful implementation of Europe 2020. . The administrative boundaries of cities no longer reflect the physical, social, economic, cultural or environmental reality of urban development and new forms of flexible governance are needed. . In terms of aims, objectives and values, there is a shared vision of the European city of tomorrow as: . a place of advanced social progress with a high degree of social cohesion, socially-balanced housing as well as social, health and 'education for all' services; . a platform for democracy, cultural dialogue and diversity; . a place of green, ecological or environmental regeneration; . a place of attraction and an engine of economic growth. . Cities play a key role in Europe’s territorial development. There is a consensus on the key principles of future European urban and territorial development which should: . be based on balanced economic growth and territorial organisation of activities, with a polycentric urban structure; . build on strong metropolitan regions and other urban areas that can provide good accessibility to services of general economic interest; . be characterised by a compact settlement structure with limited urban sprawl; . enjoy a high level of environmental protection and quality in and around cities. The European model of sustainable urban development is under threat . Demographic change gives rise to a series of challenges that differ from one city to another, such as ageing populations, shrinking cities or intense processes of suburbanisation. . Europe is no longer in a situation of continuous economic growth and many cities, especially non-capital cities in Central and Eastern Europe, but also old industrial cities in Western Europe, face the serious threat of economic stagnation or decline. . Our economies in their current form are unable to provide jobs for all – weakening links between economic growth, employment and social progress have pushed a larger share of the population out of the labour market or towards low-skilled and low-wage service sector jobs. . Growing income disparities and the poor getting poorer – in some neighbourhoods, local populations suffer from a concentration of inequalities in terms of poor housing, low-quality education, unemployment, and difficulties or inabilities to access certain services (health, transport, ICT). . Social polarisation and segregation are increasing – the recent economic crisis has further amplified the effects of market processes and the gradual retreat of the welfare state in most European countries. In even the richest of our cities, social and spatial segregation are growing problems. . Spatial segregation processes – as an effect of social polarisation – make it increasingly difficult for low-income or marginalised groups to find decent housing at affordable prices. . An increasing number of 'society dropouts' may lead to a development of closed sub-cultures with fundamentally hostile attitudes to mainstream society in many cities. . Urban sprawl and the spread of low-density settlements is one of the main threats to sustainable territorial development; public services are more costly and difficult to provide, natural resources are overexploited, public transport networks are insufficient and car reliance and congestion in and around cities are heavy. . Urban ecosystems are under pressure – urban sprawl and soilsealing threaten biodiversity and increase the risk of both flooding and water scarcity. Cities of tomorrow -Challenges, visions, ways forward There are opportunities to turn the threats into positive challenges . European cities follow different development trajectories and their diversity has to be exploited. Competitiveness in the global economy has to be combined with sustainable local economies by anchoring key competences and resources in the local economic tissue and supporting social participation and innovation. . Creating a resilient and inclusive economy – the present economic development model, in which economic growth does not equate to more jobs, raises challenges: to ensure a decent life for those left outside the labour market and to engage them in society. . The potential of socio-economic, cultural, generational and ethnic diversity must be further exploited as a source of innovation. Cities of tomorrow have to be both elderly-friendly and family-friendly, as well as places of tolerance and respect. . Combating spatial exclusion and energy poverty with better housing is key to not only making a city and its agglomeration more attractive and liveable, but also making it more eco-friendly and competitive. . Making cities ‘green and healthy’ goes far beyond simply reducing CO2 emissions. A holistic approach to environmental and energy issues has to be adopted, as the many components of the natural ecosystem are interwoven with those of the social, economic, cultural and political urban system in a unique manner. . Thriving and dynamic small and medium-sized cities can play an important role in the well-being not only of their own inhabitants but also of the surrounding rural populations. They are essential for avoiding rural depopulation and urban drift and for promoting balanced territorial development. . A sustainable city must have attractive open public spaces and promote sustainable, inclusive and healthy mobility. Non-car mobility has to become more attractive and multimodal public transport systems favoured. New forms of governance are essential to respond to these urban challenges . Cities of tomorrow have to adopt a holistic model of sustainable urban development . Deal with challenges in an integrated, holistic way; . Match place-and people-based approaches; . Combine formal government structures with flexible informal governance structures that correspond to the scale at which the challenges exist; . Develop governance systems capable of building shared visions reconciling competing objectives and conflicting development models; . Cooperate in order to ensure coherent spatial development and an efficient use of resources. . Governance systems need to be adapted to evolving circumstances and take into account various territorial (e.g. supra-urban as well as infra-urban) and temporal scales. . Cities have to work across sectors and not let ‘mono-sectoral’ visions set the agenda of what urban life should be like. . Horizontal and vertical coordination is required as cities have to work with other governance levels and reinforce their cooperation and networking with other cities in order to share investments and services which are required at a larger territorial scale. . New governance modes based on citizens' empowerment, participation of all relevant stakeholders and innovative use of social capital are needed. . In the context of weakened links between economic growth and social progress, social innovation offers an opportunity to widen the public space for civic engagement, creativity, innovation and cohesion. . Foresight is a specially relevant tool for managing transitions, overcoming conflicts and contradictions between objectives, and developing a better understanding of realities, capacities and objectives. Table of contents Preface . III Contributors . IV Executivesummary . VI 1. TowardsaEuropean visionofthecityoftomorrow 1.1. Introduction . 1 1.2. Whatdowemeanbycities? . 1 1.3. The growing importanceof cities . 2 1.3.1. Citiesplayakeyroleineconomicgrowth . 2 1.3.2. Citiescontributebothtoproblemsandtosolutions . 5 1.4. TheEuropean policycontext . 7 1.4.1. The‘Acquis Urbain’ . 7 1.4.2. TheTerritorialAgenda . 8 1.5. TowardsasharedEuropean visionof urbandevelopment . 10 1.5.1. Canweagreeuponashared vision? . 10 1.5.2. AEuropean visionofthe Citiesoftomorrow . 10 1.5.3. AEuropean visionoftheterritorialdevelopmentof cities . 12 1.6. Conclusions– sharedEuropean urbandevelopmentobjectives . 12 2. AEuropean urbandevelopmentmodel underthreat 2.1. Diagnosis: demographic decline . 15 2.2. Diagnosis:economicdevelopmentandcompetitiveness underthreat . 18 2.2.1. European citiesfollowverydifferentdevelopmenttrajectories . 18 2.2.2. Askill base under threat . 19 2.2.3. Cities facing the crisis . 21 2.2.4. Competitionasazero-sum game . 22 2.3. Diagnosis:agrowing social polarisation . 22 2.3.1. Spatial segregation and housing . 24 2.3.2. Anincreasing number of social dropouts . 25 2.4. Diagnosis – depletionofnaturalresources . 26 2.4.1. Urban sprawl and landconsumption . 26 2.4.2. Urban ecosystems under pressure . 27 2.5. Adiverse governancesystem . 29 2.6. Conclusions–achallenging futureforthe Citiesoftomorrow . 30 3. Themain challengesforthe Citiesoftomorrow 3.1. Introduction – whatcanwesayabout futurechallenges? . 33 3.2. The diverse,cohesiveandattractivecity . 34 3.2.1. The potential of diversity . 34 3.2.2. Turningdiversityintoadynamic asset . 35 3.2.3. Ensuringacityfor all – thecohesivecity . 36 3.2.4. Eradicating energypovertyandspatialexclusion . 37 3.2.5. Developing social innovation . 38 3.2.6. Adaptingthecity’seconomicand sociallifetoan ageing population . 39 3.2.7. Attractingtheyoungandmakingroomfor children . 40 Cities of tomorrow -Challenges, visions, ways forward 3.3. The green and healthycity . 42 3.3.1. Aholisticapproachtoenvironmental issuesand energy efficiency . 42 3.3.2. Making mobilitysustainable,inclusiveand healthy . 45 3.3.3. Asustainablecitywithattractiveopenpublicspaces . 48 3.4. Creatingaresilientand inclusiveeconomy . 49 3.4.1. Managingtransitionstowardsaviablelocaleconomy . 49 3.4.2. Stimulatingjobcreation,entrepreneurshipandabroadlocalskill-base . 50 3.4.3. Developing socialcapital . 52 3.4.4. Usingtechnologytofostercollectiveintelligenceand innovation . 52 3.4.5. Linkingtothe global economy – cities as hubsfor global networks . 52 3.4.6. Theconnectivitychallenge . 55 3.5. ApolycentricurbanEuropewith balancedterritorialdevelopment . 55 3.5.1. Aharmoniousdevelopmentofthecitywithits surroundingregion . 55 3.5.2. Promoting the diversityand authenticityof cities . 57 3.6. Towardsamoreholistic modelof sustainablecitydevelopment . 60 3.6.1. Towardsaholistic,integrated modelof sustainable urbandevelopment . 60 3.6.2. Overcomingconflicts andcontradictions . 60 3.6.3. Abetter understandingofrealities,capacitiesandobjectives . 61 4. Governance –howtorespondtothe challenges 4.1. Introduction –fromgovernmenttogovernance . 65 4.2. Anintegratedapproachtourbandevelopmentandgovernance . 65 4.3. Newmodelsofterritorialgovernance . 68 4.3.1. Newurbanrealities . 68 4.3.2. Theincreasingimportanceofthecityatregionalor metropolitanlevel . 68 4.3.3. Theneedforflexible multi-scalargovernance . 71 4.4. Buildingcapacityfor long-term visioning and strategic planning . 72 4.4.1. The needforasolidknowledge base . 74 4.4.2. Foresightasaparticipativegovernancetooltomanagecomplexity . 76 4.5. CollectivemobilisationaroundaEuropean urbandevelopmentmodel . 81 4.5.1. Residentmobilisation . 81 4.5.2. Localcommunity-leddevelopmentapproaches . 81 4.5.3. Needforcapacitybuildingtoensurefull empowerment . 84 4.6. Cooperationbetween citiesiskeytosustainableEuropean urbandevelopment . 85 4.7. Conclusions–astrengtheningoftheEuropean urbandevelopmentmodel . 86 4.7.1. Governanceconsiderationsforthe Citiesoftomorrow . 86 4.7.2. Towardssociallyinnovative,inclusiveandintegratedmulti-scalargovernance . 88 Conclusions . 91 Annexes . 94 Chapter1 -Annex1 . 94 Chapter1 -Annex2 . 95 Chapter2 -Annex1 . 96 Chapter4 -Annex1 . 97 Chapter4 -Annex2 . 98 Chapter4 -Annex3 . 99 Listoffigures,mapsand tables . 100 1. Towards a European vision of the city of tomorrow Cities of tomorrow -Challenges, visions, ways forward 1.1. Introduction ‘Our cities possess unique cultural and architectural qualities, strong forces of social inclusion and exceptional possibilities for economic development. They are centres of knowledge and sources of growth and innovation. At the same time, however, they suffer from demographic problems, social inequality, social exclusion of specific population groups, a lack of affordable and suitable housing, and environmental problems.’1 Cities play a key role in the lives of most Europeans. Not only does a majority of the population live in cities, but cities also play a key role in the social and economic development of all European territories. It seems almost paradoxical that there is no common definition for ‘urban’ or even ‘city’, and that the European Union has no explicit policy competence in urban development. However, in this chapter we demonstrate not only the importance of cities, but also the crucial role that Europe has to play in their future. There is, in fact, an explicit European model of urban development. The ‘European model of the city’ is a fascinating issue. On the one hand, it captures essential features of European cultural history, and it is deeply rooted in the past and, hence, related to the identity question. On the other, it captures essential aspects of the political vision of the European Union and, hence, of the future as envisaged by the underlying society.2 Before arriving at the European model of urban development, we briefly discuss alternative administrative and functional definitions of cities, and point to the importance of understanding urban issues in a territorial context. We also stress the increasing significance of cities, especially in meeting the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, as well as those set out in the Treaty, i.e. the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. Finally, we describe European policy context and introduce the European model of urban development, a shared European vision of the Cities of tomorrow and a shared European vision of the territorial development of cities. 1.2. What do we mean by cities? There are many definitions of a city. ‘City’ can refer to an administrative unit or a certain population density. A distinction is sometimes made between towns and cities – the former are smaller (e.g. between 10000 and 50000 inhabitants) and the latter larger (above 50000 inhabitants). ‘City’ can also refer more generally to perceptions of an urban way of life and specific cultural or social features, as well as functional places of economic activity and exchange.