urbanisation print edition (2012)

7/31/2019 Urbanisation Print Edition (2012)

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NEW EUROPE

FEATU

RING: Working together to promoteUrbanization cooperation

OCTOBER 2012 A NEW EUROPE SPECIAL REPORTISSUE # 1003

Wu Hailong

P. 3

A discourse on urbandevelopment

Marc Glaudemans

P. 9

Increased wellbeingin sustainable cities

Jo Leinen

P. 4

The Future of Europe:Cities of the Future

Vanda Knowles

P. 11

Megacities needroadless areas

Kriton Arsenis

P. 6

The Covenant of Mayors: a modelinitiative for Europe and the World?

Kristina Dely

P. 12

European bus systemof the future

Alain Flausch

P. 8

Europes history ofurban migration

Ramn Luis Valcrcel

Siso P. 13

URBANISATION


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SPECIAL REPORT | OCTOBER 2012

02 NEW EUROPE

05Sustainableurban regeneration

07Smart cities, Huaweissolution or urbanization

10ESIMeC An adaptableworkorce or local economicgrowth and resilience

14Ubanization o Arica isinevitable, and good

15European urban media networkor connecting cities

16Local transport schemesmust refect long-term needs

17China: Building leadersin urban transport planning

18Chengdu: romthe ground up

19An international perspective onurbanisation

EDITORIAL

When Kosta was 13 years old he had to move rom hissmall village in Greece to the nearest, biggest town o

Trikala to go to school, and then high school. Completingthis he had to go to Athens, the Cyprus to complete hismilitary requirements, beginning to search or work he then

was invited to Australia and took a boat or 30 days thatstopped at Arica's Djibouti, and Australia's Perth, beorehe reached Port Melbourne and riends o his orm thatsame small village came to help him ind a job.

This story happened more than 60 years ago, but eventoday, in Europe, and worldwide we have igures and sto-ries o those closest to us supported by data showing usthat moving to the bigger city, nine times out o 10, im-proves our livelihoods.

That same village that Kosta let in Greece, which numberstoday a mere 88 residents, used to have a unctioning school,local shop, church and main square; none o these remaintoday as more and more residents depend on the main cityound right next to it, seven kilometres away in Trikala o

Thessaly.In many villages in Asia the same thing is happening, theglobe and the potential within is being looked at a high level

as the next step will be allowing or us all to live in our desiredlevels, despite the exponential growth in cities.Asia and Europe have taken a urther binding step. Throughthe appropriate channels the European Union and the Gov-ernment o China have ventured into the pertinant questiono urbanisation together.

The results can only beneit both and this is why earlier thisautumn the Commissioner or Development, AndrisPiebalgs, and Chen Deming, Minister o Commerce o theRepublic o China, signed a inancing agreement promotingthe environment, transition towards a low-carbon economyand a reduction o greenhouse gas emissions in China.Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs has saidthat the agreement with China is a concrete example ohow we can work in partnership to tackle global andshared challenges. We commend China's commitmentsand we'll support their eorts to reduce greenhouse gasemissions; to make cities cleaner and to better manage

water, waste and heavy metal pollution. The EU has asolid experience in the ight against climate change andthe path towards a green economy that we're happy toshare. The results o these projects will beneit all o usand contribute to our common objective: a sustainabledevelopment o the planet."Climate Action Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, said:"Today's agreement is an important step or an ever closercooperation towards a robust international carbon market.

Needless to say that it makes a signiicant dierence whennow also China wants to use carbon markets to reduceemissions cost-eectively and boost low-carbon technolo-gies. Our joint commitment to carbon markets shows thepotential and beneits o smart climate policies. This is ahuge opportunity to modernise our economies, stimulategrowth and create jobs in new dynamic industries with in-novative technologies and clean energy".

The EU will help China in meeting its environmental,energy- and carbon-intensity targets and in the long run,contribute towards achieving a global reduction o green-house gas emissions. The EU support will result -through pilot projects - in providing technical assistance,

training and ostering exchanges o experience, best prac-tice and know-how in areas like the low-carbon economyand the green economy. The three projects -or which theEU contribution amounts to 25 million- will be imple-mented over a period o 4 years and ocus on areas like

water, waste and heavy metal pollution, emission tradingsystem (ETS) and sustainable urbanisation.


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03NEW EUROPE

In recent years, the steady momentum onChina-EU relations has sustained strong

growth in practical cooperation across allsectors on both sides. For China-EU rela-tions, the current international economicsituation and our respective developmentstrategy mean both opportunities and chal-lenges. To leverage strength from the inter-national environment and to better meetthe challenges, China and Europe must ex-plore new grounds to achieve growth. Basedon this principle, at the beginning of this

year, the two sides have reached an impor-tant agreement to prioritize urbanizationand sustainable development in our coop-

eration and have moved further to establishurbanization partnership between Chinaand the EU.

During his visit to Brussels in May 2011,the Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang ad-dressed to the China-EU Urbanization Part-nership High Level Conference, whichgathered officials, entrepreneurs and academicexperts to find ways to promote sustainablecities and China-EU urbanization partner-ship. The Conference concluded with big suc-cess and adopted the China-EU UrbanizationPartnership Joint Declaration. As a follow-

up to the event, in September, the two sidesheld in Brussels the first EU-China MayorsForum, during which mayors from tens ofChinese and European cities came togetherto exchange experience in city developmentand discuss methods of complementary coop-eration for sustainable growth.

In addition, since the announcement ofthe partnership agreement, the two sideshave organized multiple think-tank round-

tables and inter-governmental dialogues rel-evant to specific projects and initiatives.

During the 15th China-EU Summit heldin Brussels in September, leaders from bothsides recognized the progress achieved onurbanization partnership, and stressed thatcontinued efforts should be made to followthrough with the China-EU UrbanizationPartnership Joint Declaration so as to pairmore cooperation with corresponding agen-cies from both sides. In particular, ChinasNational School of Administration hasbeen tasked to run the China-EU Urban-

ization Leadership Training Program. Inthe next phase, both sides will adopt newmeasures to go deeper in practical coopera-tion, implement the previously determinedprojects, and take steps to make urbaniza-tion partnership a substantial componentfor the comprehensive strategic partnership

between China and the EU.China-EU cooperation on urbanization

has a huge potential and enjoys a broad

prospect. Since Chinas reform and openingup, the countrys urbanization process hastaken a handsome departure from its weakfoundation and achieved high-speedgrowth in terms of the size of the urbanpopulation, the number and size of cities,and the urbanization rate.

From 1978 to 2011, urban population hasincreased to 690 million from 172 million.

The number of cities has increased to 657from 193 and the urbanization rate to51.27% from 17.92%, matching the world saverage. In the meantime, public infrastruc-

tures have also been dramatically upgradedto modernize the cities and accommodatemore people into cities. Nevertheless,Chinas story of urbanization is also filled

with huge challenges: A lot more efforts stillneed to be made to make our developmentmore sustainable and the planning more

reasonable. Education, medicare, social se-curity, and public housing remain weaklinks for urbanization.

Infrastructure development and urban

management is out of pace with the popu-lation increase. In Europe, the urbanizationprocess has been around for much longertime. This gives European countries uniquestrength that China could draw from inurban development and management.

At the same time, cities across Europe arealso challenged by issues of environment,energy and transportation. In the future,both sides could continue to strengthen ex-change and mutual learning, and carry outmore mutually beneficial cooperation forsustainable urbanization.

Since urbanization creates markets forboth consumption and investment, theprocess is closely linked with transportation,housing, tourism, education, medicare, pub-lic infrastructure, environment sector, cul-ture industry, and service industries.

Therefore, stronger China-EU coopera-tion on urbanization will produce enormousbusiness opportunities for both sides. Chinaand Europe should seize the great opportu-nity and momentum to tap into our respec-tive strength and increase exchange.

Government departments, businesses, re-

search and education institutions should allact to develop practical cooperation in var-ious forms and at different levels. Westrongly believe that by working together,

we could make our two peoples live betterlives through more sustainable urbanizationexperience.

Stronger China-EU cooperation

on urbanization willproduce enormous

business opportunities

for both sides


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04 NEW EUROPE

As we approach the 21st Century, the in-

creasing urbanisation of the world coupledwith global threats such as climate change,water shortage and environmental degrada-tion, demand a deeper look at the future ofour cities in Europe.

Cities offer a place to live and work for anincreasing number of citizens. Alreadytoday 75% of the EU population lives incities and this rate is supposed to rise withinthe next years. As a matter of fact, cities areas well the place where most energy is con-sumed and greenhouse gas is emittedthrough industrial facilities as well as high

traffic density.Tackling environmental challenges thus

means tackling the challenges of cities at thesame time. By increasing air and water qual-ity, mitigating climate change, reducing

waste, noise and soil pollution in combina-tion with safeguarding ecosystems and bio-diversity, the wellbeing of European citizens

will be improved as well. Sustainable urbanmanagement shall therefore address theproblems caused and experienced by de-ploying the potential solutions offered incities.

Let's take the example of transport: In-creased use of public transport and reduc-tion of single traffic in cities cansignificantly reduce emissions and noisefrom vehicles while improving air qualityand public health. EU policies must thusprioritise measures that approach the origin

of environmental problems. Therefore weare currently discussing noise levels as wellas Co2 emissions from cars and light motor

vehicles in the European Parliament.

In addition to the traffic problem, we canlook at a broader issue like sustainable man-agement of resources in a circular economy.

This requires an integrated approach toclose the cycle of natural resources, energyand waste within cities and communities.

The main goals of such a project shall in-clude minimising the use of natural re-sources, especially the non-renewable ones,for example by reducing the production of

waste through more reusing and recycling.Such objectives are often easier to achieveon a smaller scale, which is why it i s ideal to

introduce more sustainable policies on alocal or regional level.The EU can support such efforts by in-

centivising the implementation of betterreusing and recycling schemes and sharingbest practices.

Sustainability is our common responsibil-

ity. Therefore we need a close cooperationand partnership between different levels, or-ganisations and interests. The sustainableuse of our resources has to start with a

learning process, within which 'learning bydoing', sharing experiences, professional ed-ucation and training, community consulta-tion, innovative educational mechanismsand awareness raising are key elements.Local governments play a crucial role in fa-cilitating this change.

We need to see the potential and benefitsof such sustainable cities: Protection of ourenvironment increases the quality of life no-tably by safeguarding ecosystems and theirservices and halting the loss of biodiversity.By reducing global greenhouse gas emis-

sions we ensure better air quality, less noiseand thus improve well-being for current andfuture generations.

In addition, green technologies have al-ready proven to create jobs and growth as

well as providing a competitive advantage.Regional and local authorities should ex-

plore ways of creating employment throughenvironmental measures, encourage betterenvironmental performance in existingbusinesses and encourage industry to adopt

an ecosystems approach.A healthy environment and a high level

of environmental protection are prerequi-sites for guaranteeing the quality of life as

well as preserving the stability of the ecosys-tems. As more and more people will live incities, the improvement of the urban envi-ronment is a crucial aspect for Europe. Ini-tiatives to increase green areas and greeninfrastructure measures, reduce transport,reduce material use or promote local prod-ucts shall be supported on the Europeanlevel and shared as best practices among the

cities. The sustainable city process is aboutcreativity and change. It challenges tradi-tional government responses and seeks newinstitutional and organising capacities andrelationships. In the end, Europe will havesustainable cities with increased wellbeingfor their citizens.

Tackling environmental challenges thus means tackling the challenges of

cities at the same time. By increasing air and water quality, mitigatingclimate change, reducing waste, noise and soil pollution in combination with

safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity, the wellbeing of European citizens

will be improved as well


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05NEW EUROPE

CO2 REDUCTION andCLIMATE ADAP TATION

The building sector accounts for 40% ofthe total energy use and for 36% of EuropesCO2 emissions. It generates 9% of the total

EU 27 GDP and 8 % of the total employ-ment. Since the EU aims at reductions indomestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionsof 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 level),the building stock - in particular the hous-ing sector - plays a major role in achievingthe 20-20-20 strategic targets. Withoutconsequently exploiting the huge savingspotential attributed to the building stock,the EU will certainly miss its GHG reduc-tion targets, but there are many other ad-

vantages in reducing the environmentalfootprint of buildings that should be care-

fully considered.

SOCIAL INCLUSIONand QUALITY OF LIFE

As highlighted in the Cities of Tomorrowreport, Energy efficiency in buildings is di-rectly related to social inclusion and the al-leviation of energy poverty. [...] 90% ofsocial housing consists of buildings in needof refurbishment. These buildings oftenhave low energy efficiency with many ten-ants living in fuel poverty. Better energy ef-ficiency is key to alleviating the poverty of

the most vulnerable, while increasing thequality of life for all citizens. Cities are faced

with the challenge of upgrading existinghousing stock and finding the most ade-quate solutions, while knowing that systems

will evolve. Solutions, therefore, need to beflexible, cost-effective and sustainable. En-ergy efficiency may play a particular role incities of EU-12 Member States where thereare still a number of large housing estates

with very high energy consumption. Insome countries, flats have been privatised,resulting in a lack of effective collective

management and very few or no resourcesfor renovation."

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE MAN-AGEMENT and SOIL SEALINGREDUCTION

The EU shall concre tely support the

adoption of sustainable land use manage-ment plans at national and local level. TheEuropean compact city is not only ourgreatest cultural asset, but also the only

way to a s afe and healthy built envi ron-ment. Reducing soil sealing and urbansprawl is imperative for urban adaptationto climate change, to develop safety

strategies in case of natural hazards andhuman caused catastrophes. CO2 emis-sions alike, soil sealing is a major indicatorof the sustainability degree of urban andterritorial policies and must become aconcrete driver of sustainable urban re-generation at European level. Thereforethe guidelines to limit, mitigate and com-pensate soil sealing, published in April2012 by the Commission should be con-sistently embedded in EU urban dimen-sion of cohesion policies.

HERITAGE CONSERVATIONand GREEN INNOVATIONEuropean Cities of tomorrow are places

of green, ecological or environmental re-generation, but we should also make surethat the heritage and architectural value ofhistoric buildings and public spaces is ex-ploited together with the development andimprovement of the urban scene, landscapeand place, and where local residents iden-tify themselves with the urban environment.[...] Cities have to build on their past to pre-pare the future. Some cities build on their

specific traditions of production, on their ar-chitectural or cultural heritage as well as ontheir local and regional knowledge base.

The specific attractiveness of a given cityhas to be seen in the context of a forward-looking scenario as an element of a broaderurban transition.

GROWTH AND JOBSDuring a Hearing at the EU Parliament

in 2009 Dr. Edmundo Werna explained thehuge economic and employment potentialof the building renovation and restorationsector: The restoration of buildings, roadsand other elements of the built environment

with heritage value is a labour-intensivetype of activity. Therefore, it has high em-ployment content. Experience has shownthat for the same level of investment in localconstruction, the use of labour-based tech-nologies can create between two and fourtimes more employment. In addition, theuse of labour-intensive methods promotessmall and medium enterprises, causes thedrop of foreign exchange requirements by50% to 60%, decreases overall cost by 10 to30%, and reduces environmental impacts. Italso implies the increased use of associated

local resources.

FINACIAL TOOLS and REGULA-TORY FRAMEWORKThe recast Energy Performance of Build-

ings Directive has introduced a strong focuson the existing building stock, encouragingthe member states to support refurbish-ments and set higher energy standards forbuildings undergoing renovation. The rateof building renovation needs to be in-creased, as the existing building stock rep-resents the single biggest potential sector for

energy savings. Moreover, buildings are cru-cial to achieving the EU objective of reduc-ing greenhouse gas emissions by 80- 95%by 2050 compared to 1990.

From the financial point of view it is im-portant to note that a very large share of en-ergy savings potential can be achieved at

negative costs. Some of them may evenproduce buildings capable to produce moreenergy than they need, becoming part of theurban smart grid, but the greatest challengeis energy upgrading of the existing buildingstock at urban level: lowering energy de-mand, increasing energy efficiency and in-tegrating renewable energies production at

the scale of the urban fabric.

3x20 STRATEGY and EUROPEANREGIONAL DEVELOPMENTFUNDSSupporting investment in energy effi-

ciency and renewable energies will beamong the top priorities of the next pro-gramming period 2014-2020. According tothe draft regulations published in late 2011in more developed and transition regions,at least 80% of ERDF resources at nationallevel should be allocated to energy efficiency

and renewables, innovation and SME sup-port, of which at least 20 % should be allo-cated to energy efficiency and renewables.Less developed regions will have a broaderrange of investment priorities to choosefrom, reflecting their wider developmentneeds. But they will have to devote at least50 % of ERDF resources to energy effi-ciency and renewables, innovation andSME support. Cities have to be preparedto this challenge, strengthening their terri-torial cohesion policies and sustainableurban development framework plans a.o. to

take advantage of the 5 % of ERDF re-sources earmarked for sustainable urban de-velopment

Antonio Borghi, Milano, Chairman of theWork Group Urban Issues of ACE-CAE -CNAPPC Delegate

"Cities are key players in the f ight against cli-

mate change and the main challenge to test our

capacity to adapt. Energy consumption in

urban areas mostly in transport and housing

is responsible for a large share of CO2 emis-

sions and at the same time emission per person

is much lower in urban areas compared to non-

urban areas. The density of urban areas allows

for more energy-eff icient forms of housing,

transport and service provision. Consequently,

measures to address climate change may be more

efficient and cost-effective in big and compact

cities than in less densely built space."


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06 NEW EUROPE

At the same time that socie ties are mi-grating to big cities causing them tomushroom and expand, humanity is alsoreaching out to the further edges of theplanet, impacting the last few remaining

wilderne ss areas.The concentration of human population

in cities has therefore not eased our neg-ative impact on the environment but has,in fact, increased it. We have not left spacefor other species with which we share theplanet and that has caused a decline inbiodiversity through the loss of their habi-tats. The primary means of our expansionare roads. The building of roads hasgranted us access to and allowed us toover-exploit the few remaining wildernessareas.

This comes with a cost . A great cost liesin the reduction of ecosystem services,

vital to ou r sur vival such as crop pollina-tion, air quality, water supply and erosioncontrol. The climate resilience of humansocieties is also reduced when we put greatpressure on ecosystems on which we de-pend on and for example reduce theirability to sequestrate CO2, thus intensi-

fying the effects of climate change.Thesocial costs of not preserving roadlessareas include the spread of diseases result-ing from the destruction of these invalu-able buffer zones between our cities andbetween our societies. This comes with asignificant cost for public health as well asan economic cost. The loss of genetic re-sources is also a negative aspect of our in-

vasiv e approach and of course animportant cost of not preserving the road-

less areas is the thriving of illegal loggingas well as of prohibited poaching andtrading. Last but not least, while we flockinto the cities and transform our societiesand interactions, we should not forget that

just unt il 2007 we li ved predominately inrural areas and before that human soci-

eties were even more isolated. We shouldtherefore respect our past and also respectthe indigenous people, who to this day,choose to live in a way different than ours.

The protection of roadless areas is al so ameans to protect the rights of the i ndige-nous people.

It is important for us, future generationsand all other species that we protect theremaining roadless areas. To this extent, Iam steering a global initiative to protect

those areas with the support of interna-tional and regional NGOs and other in-stitutions.

In collaboration with Google and theEuropean Environment Agency and JRC,

we have mapped the remain ing road lessareas, creating an i nstrument to push for

the international recognition of the im-portance of protecting these areas. Thenext step in this effort is the event onroadless areas taking place on Tuesday16th October in the context of the 11thmeeting of the Conference of the Partiesto the Convention on Biological Diversityin Hyderabad, India.

This event is co-organized by UNEP,IUCN, Conservation International, Soci-ety for Conservation Biology and

Tebtebba (the Indigenous Peoples' In ter-national Centre for Policy Research andEducation). It is our expectation thatalong with a decent living of the globalpopulation within our cities we will alsomanage to preserve nature on which wegreatly depend on.

The building of roads hasgranted us access to and allowed

us to over-exploit the fewremaining wilderness areas


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07NEW EUROPE

Half of the worlds population has movedinto cities, due to the economic globaliza-tion and urbanisation. Besides, accordingto the UN World Urbanization ProspectsReport, the planet will have eight moremegacities before 2025 and 6,4 billionurban population in 2050. This urbaniza-tion requires more resources, more com-plicated city management and moresustainability.

Smart cities, which are based on ICTapplications, Internet and cloud comput-

ing, can offer good opportunities and,thanks to the administration by digitaltechnologies and information, are the bestsolution for this present and future prob-lem. Likewise, they are greener, can gen-erate revenues and are cheaper in terms ofelectricity consumption.

The European Union, like the US andChina, has placed the Smart City projectinto its strategic agenda and are providingsupport to it. In July, the European Com-mission launched the Smart Cities andCommunities European Innovation Part-

nership, which pools resources to supportthe demonstration of energy, transportand ICTs in urban areas. Likewise, theHorizon 2020 strategy will implementEuropean innovation, including smartcities, to generate growth and jobs from2013; and several actions already started.

To create a smart city its fundamental a

good network where all services are inter-connected. The Chinese company Huawei,is one of the firms that are providing solu-tions in Europe and other countries to de-

velop these kind of urban areas. In the UK,for example, Huawei is working with the

worlds smart meter leader, Landis+Gyr, tobuild up smart metering and smart grid so-lutions targeted for commercial launch frommid-2012 onwards.

Smart grid solutions are the answer tothe high demand of electricity needed bycitizens. The production efficiency, man-

agement capability, and service capabilityof the electric power industry can be im-proved based on informatization con-struction. The smart grid is a keycomponent in the relation machine-ma-chine, and also machine-human, BoscoEduardo Fernndez, Head of HuaweisR&D Centre, told New Europe, addingthat with this system citizens can re-usehousing energy and also the way they

want to re-utiliz e it. Today, there are somefacilities, like IP TV or smart phones, butthey are not coordinated, he said.

Huawei has provided solutions in dif-ferent countries around the world, by in-tegrating various applications and aligning

with the Internet of Thing s based on amodular and cloud-based platform, whichcan reduce 70% of the energy we use now.For instance, the company provided secu-

rity services, such as traffic security and

emergency commands, in China and Pak-istan to prevent, among others, terroristactions.

An Intell igent Traffic Project waslaunched in the Maldives, which wasbased in intelligent video surveillance.

Within the smar t grid solutions providedby Huawei we can also find cloud contactcentres, telepresence, remote banking,telehealth, remote court and remote officesolutions.

Despite all the benefits that smart gridsand smart metering solutions can offer,

Europe has a lack of fiber and is in aworst position than, for example, China,which has fast er capabili ties, said Fernn-dez. The Connecting Europe program hasa budget of 9,2 billion for broadband andtechnologies, but the investment is moreaggressive in China, where 250 billionare intended for ICT, explained AntonioSalvatore Graziano, Huaweis VP Euro-pean Public Affairs and Communicationsin Belgium, to New Europe.

European countries should invest in in-novation, but first of all citizens must

know how devices can be connected andunderstand that this change will benefitthem in the future. Without an effectivenetwork we cannot invest, said Graziano,and governments have to inform on howthis will be sold, added Fernndez.

Accordi ng to Gerard Corcoran,

Huaweis Senior Solution Manager, Eu-

rope is well prepared for the Smart Gridnow its working in the frame of the 2020strategy. The problem is, he explained, thatthere are regions more advanced than oth-ers and more promotion combining Eu-rope, US and China is basic. To exit thecrisis, EU countries need to invest, hesaid. Its difficult now, but it will generatebenefits in the future.

This opportunity will take a while, butwill generate job s and revenue. It will be abigger problem in the future if we don'tinvest, stated Graziano. But each Euro-

pean country has its own agenda and pri-orities, meaning that the EU has to pushthis forward, said Corcoran.

To mob ilize and inform young peopleabout smart cities will be easier, becausethey look more to the prices now we are incrisis, he explained. However, citizens lessfamiliar with new technologies could seethis change as a problem and an unsafe sys-tem. In this way, Huawei is working to en-sure that all their products are secure, statedGraziano, and all markets should do thesame, because China only represents the

40% of the cybersecurity measures.The curren t economic situat ion hasgenerated new ways to save money and, atthe same time, to create growth. Never-theless, this will only be possible whetherall the actors involved collaborate and in-

vest in th is smart future.


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The European Bus System of the Futureproject will be brought to a close next

week with the unveil ing of the final re-sults at an all-day event in Brussels (15October), which will provide an opportu-nity to take stock o f some of the ground-breaking innovations and developments

made during its duration.The EBSF proj ect set out four years

ago with the aim of developing a newgeneration of urban bus systems adaptedto the specificities of European cities andto improve the attractiveness of the busas an urban and suburban mode of t rans-port. An initiative of the European Com-mission, under its Seventh FrameworkProgramme for Research and Technolog-ical Development, and coordinated byUITP, the project saw for the first timethe five leading European bus manufac-

turers joining forces for pre-competitiveresearch, together with 42 other partnersfrom 11 EU countries representing allcategories of bus service stakeholders.

The EBSF proj ect adop ted a syst emapproach by looking at the bus s ystem asa whole, by defining bus transport for thefirst time as a system that also includesoperations and infrastructure rather than

just th e vehic le, and ident ifying the mainrequirements and the basic functions ofthe system.

One of the significant breakthroughs of

the project was the development of astandalone IT architecture. Based onopen standards, the EBSF IT architec-ture allows participating operators andorganising authorities to connect all in-formation systems (urban, suburban, re-gional or national transport networks).Such common EBSF IT architectureopens the door to real-time passenger in-formation on a European scale as well asinfinite new public transport services.

This means not only increasing the in-dustrys competitive strength but more

cooperative and interoperable transportsystems as well as greater cost efficien-cies: a key element in times of tightbudgets.

Thanks to a c lose wo rking partnershipwith in the proj ect, four demonstr atorbuses were developed and more than 100existing buses retrofitted and put to thetest in use cases in Budapest, Madrid,Brunoy, Rouen, Gothenburg, Bremer-haven and Rome.

The resul ts of these test s broadlydemonstrated shorter journey times; in-

creased passenger flow; lower emissions;increased accessibility; increased com-mercial speed; greater driver comfort anda better general perception of the bus asa mode of transport.

A demonst rator bu s station is curren tlybeing tested in Paris and is the embodi-

ment of providing an enhanced passen-ger experience.

Capitalising on its success, the projecthas developed the EBSF Roadmapidentifying key areas of research for in-novative bus systems. So, while we are atthe final stop for the EBSF project, thenext step along the road for European-led bus sector innovation is soon ap-proaching. On 15 October, a new

initiative, 3iBS, will see the light. The3iBS representing intelligent, innova-tive and integrated Bus System, 3iBS isa 30-month project coordinated by UITPand funded by the EUs Seventh Frame-

work Programme.EBSF (and other former bus and pub-

lic transport projects) will be the startingpoint for the exploitation of innovativesolutions for bus systems, and the dis-semination of bus research results on a

wor ldwi de basi s for wide r accep tance,with the aim of cre ating an internationalarena for exchange of know-how on bussystems.

3iBS will also create a link b etween theconcepts defined in EBSF (and other

projects) and its implementation withinreal-life urban mobility scenarios,through six study cases: IT standardisa-tion; accessibility and safety; bus serviceduring special events; inter-modality;level of service; modularity (internal andexternal) and energy and sustainability.

Recommendations will thus be made toimprove the Roadmap for research andinnovation in European Advanced BusSystems.

3iBS will target international organisa-tions, operators, authorities, manufactur-ers and research institutes in order tospread state-of-the-art bus systemknowledge and increase the performance,accessibility and efficiency of bus systems

around the world.With the EBSF approaching its finaldestination as a project and 3iBS ready totake the lead of research on bus systems,an innovative and altogether more attrac-tive future looks destined for this much-maligned mode of transport.

The project saw the five leading European bus

manufacturers joining forces for pre-competitive

research, together with 42 other partners

from 11 EU countries

08 NEW EUROPE


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09NEW EUROPE

The d iscourse on cities and ur ban devel-opment has gained a considerable appealduring the last two decades or so. On theone hand, economists such as EdwardGlaeser or sociologist like Richard Floridahave emphasised the economic relevanceof strong cities as magnets for the creativeclass and drivers of growth. This has re-

sulted in strategies to accommodate theservices-based industries and to acceleratehigher education and R&D. The neweconomy found its way to transformed

warehouses and other, centrally located,former industrial sites.

The impact on city centre s has beenprofound and largely positive, with a newinflux of social, economical and culturallife. On the other hand, we have all beenstunned by the incredible growth of citiesin China, India, Latin America and

Africa.

These, mostl y i ndust rial powerh ouses,due to their sheer size will test the limitsof contemporary urban infrastructure.Providing sufficient amounts of housing,energy, clean water, food and urban mo-bility to these new urban masses will beamong the most complicated challengesof the 21st century.

In a nutshell these are the keys to un-derstanding contemporary global urbandevelopment. Structuralist as it may be, itis tempting to regard the development ofcities as a continuous lifecycle, with dis-

cerned phases of youth, maturity anddecay, after which phase a transition mayoccur to new growth. Most emerging gi-ants in the East and South are clearly in aphase of profuse growth and have not yetstabilized into a state of mature develop-ment.

In Europe, on the other hand, we see abalanced and mature urban system, with astable hierarchy of primary, secondary andtertiary cities and towns all connectedthrough dense networks of physical, vir-tual, political and economical infrastruc-

tures. Stable as the system may seem,individual cities and regions in Europewill face decisive tr ansformat ions to s afe-guard their position in the increasinglyglobal networks.

In this article some of the highlights ofcurrent European urban development willbe introduced.

Although some genuine growth polesdo exist - mostly on Europes frontiers,such as Istanbul, Moscow and in some re-spects, London modest growth, stasis ormodest shrinking is typical. Investing in

existing assets is therefore the way to go.But even this strategy has been altereddramatically in the past decade. Large-scale port and waterfront regenerationssuch as Hamburgs Hafencity project or

Amsterdams waterf ront transformat ionwere driven by substantia l demand for

housing units and office space andthe availability of funds for iconographicnew cultural facilities.

The results are well-designed, easily ac-cessible and rather complete new urbanareas with the qualities and potential ofnew downtown districts.

The availability of large European fundsand strong economic dynamics has alsoaccommodated the impressive regenera-tion of many cities in the newer memberstates of the EU: Riga, Talinn, Vilnius,Krakow, Katowice, Prague, Bratislava,

Lubljana to name a few, but also Lyon,Bordaux, Lisboa, Valencia, Bilbao, Genoa,Thessaloniki and other Mediterraneancities have seen massive investments intheir public space, infrastructure and newresidential and office districts.

With the a vailabil ity of funds decreas-ing and the growth potential of the citiesdecreasing as well, future transformations

will have to be different in scale, approachand outcome.

One of the distinctive features of cur-rent practices is the bottom-up rather

than top-down approach of urban trans-formation. Public funds may provide someessential investments to ensure accessibil-ity and a functional and attractive publicspace.

The remainder is the responsibi lity ofprivate initiatives, with a strong position

for end-users to influence the urban de-velopment. This proces s of co-creationwith a strong actor-network based ap-proach is currently being widely tested inmany northern European countries. Theresults may be less spectacular and nearinstant urban districts, but they may alsobe more resilient, more adaptive and exit-ing. In other ways as well, the impact ofthe current economic downturn mightturn out to be benevolent for urban devel-opment.

For instance, we may witness the end of

urban sprawl. Due to the decreased needfor new housing and offices, the increasedcosts of fuel and decreased public budgetsfor new road infrastructure, there will be atendency to invest the remains of thefunds in the existing urban areas and notto plan new ones.

The ecolog ical footp rint of compac tcities is many times better than that of ex-tended sparsely urbanised agglomerations.

Also, an increased citiz en e ngagementin urban development is a healthy correc-tion after the discipline has been state-

dominated for so many decades. In theend, our cities and tows are public goods

just as much as they are as sembled piecesof private property and state-owned in-frastructure.

A last topic that I would like to raise isthe regeneration of post-war residentialdistricts in nearly every European city.

This is a process which will involve a hugeamount of funds and can probably only besuccessfully implemented in a close col-laboration between public and private ac-tors and with a strong emphasis on citizenparticipation.

Compared to the emergence of newclass of super-megacities or the executionof laboratory smart cities in the middleof the desert, urban development in Eu-

rope seems to be rather tame. Neverthe-less, the European continent boasts themost mature and balanced urban systemin the world, and many European citiesconsistently top the lists of liveabilityrankings.

The on-go ing trans forma tions to ac-commodate new trends in workspace, mo-bility, manufacturing, retail and the role ofpublic space, will dominate the urban de-

velopment agenda for the coming decades.In a period with public and private fundsboth severely stressed, this will require the

utmost ingenuity and efforts of all thoserelated to urban development.

The availability

of large

European funds

and strong

economic dynamicshas also

accommodated the

impressive

regeneration

of many cities in thenewer member

states of the EU


10/20

Across Europe almost one in ten of the ac-tive population is unemployed. 23 millionpeople are without a job. At the same timeemployers continue to report recruitmentdifficulties and a shortage of talent in thelabour market. To reach the Europe 2020semployment target, nearly 18 million new

jobs are needed.ESIMeC is an URBACT Thematic Net-

work which aims to help medium sized citiesexplore innovative strategies for economic re-

covery. Using the URBACT method wherecities use lessons and experiences from transna-tional exchange to deliver local impact throughintegrated multi-sectoral partnerships - ES-IMeC brings 8 medium sized European citiestogether to investigate how workforce develop-ment and demand-led skills provision can con-tribute to economic resilience and growth.

ESIMeC was developed in 2009 and atthat time the partner cities involved univer-sally agreed that the worst of the crisis wasbehind them. Now it seems like there maynever be a return to normal pre-crisis eco-

nomic conditions and employment levels.ESIMeC cities believe that PEOPLE areone of the most important economic driversand place them at the heart of their futurestrategies. Over the past two and a half yearsthey have explored what cities can do togenerate new employment opportunities,prepare workers for employment opportu-nities and address the mismatch betweenthe supply of labour (high numbers of un-employed people) and the demand for

workers (employers reporting difficultiesfinding skilled workers).

At the outset cities posed a number of keyquestions which the project would tackle.

These are unpacked in more detail in a se-ries of recipes for success to be published inthe Autumn of 2012. Here is a taster of

what is included:

Which stakeholders need to be involvedin effective demand-led skills strategies?

All stakeholders with an interest in eco-nomic growth and development need to beinvolved. These include, but are not limitedto, the municipality, education and training

institutions, business and business interme-diaries, public employment services, finan-cial institutions, research agencies and civilsociety.

How can medium sized cities engagethese stakeholders effectively?

Integrated approaches developed and de-livered through effective partnerships are aprerequisite of success. All partners need tobe engaged in defining the challenges using shared information and intelligenceto inform strategic decisions. Leadership

and trust are important as i s ongoing reviewand evaluation.

How can they better understand, andprepare for, the skills that employers neednow and in the future?

Skills forecasting using qualitative and

quantitative methods on both the demandand supply sides of the labour market isimportant at city level. The informationgathered needs to be shared with all stake-holders and used to influence local educa-tion and training provision.

How can they use a skilled workforce toretain existing business and attract new in-

vestors?Small and medium sized cities often need

to alter perceptions of how they are viewed nationally and internationally - and byresidents, businesses and visitors. Having askilled workforce is key to such a reposi-tioning strategy and this needs to be effec-tively communicated through e.g. a visualidentity or marketing campaign.

How can they develop integrated ap-proaches to service provision and new in-

vestments to ensure that they maximiseeconomic and employment potential?

European cities need to develop new

working methods and move away from tra-ditional vertical policy and delivery struc-tures if they are to address the complexmulti layered challenges of the 21st century.Breaking out of policy silos (OECDLEED Forum) is a key part of this andcities need to develop a whole system ap-proach to economic development whichcreates a virtuous circle and puts as muchemphasis on employer ambition as on un-employment. This in turn requires a pre-paredness by all to work flexibly togethertowards the agreed common priorities

which may necessitate some sacrifices /compromise at organisational level.

How can they do all of this within thecurrent climate of austerity?

Several ESIMeC partners have commentedthat fewer resources have actually led to an in-creased sense of commitment to the city andmore collaborative approaches to the challengesfaced. Cities need to build on this momentumso that the new partnerships which evolve areable to thrive if this climate of austerity contin-ues or worsens.

The URBACT funding for ESIMeCcomes to an end early in 2014. By then eachcity partner will have a Local Action Plan

which sets out its challenges and puts inplace some clear options and actions to con-tribute to economic recovery and resilience.

What happens next depends on citieschanging the way they do business and de-livering this whole system approach to em-ployment and economic development.ESIMeC partners believe this is a prereq-uisite to sustainable urban development.

The challenge will be to make it happen at

local level.The ESIMeC CookBook and SkillsForecasting Tool will be launched at ES-IMeC Come Dine with Me on 7 Novem-ber 2012. For more information see

www.urbact.eu/esimec or email [email protected]

Alison Par tridge, Lead Exper t, URBACT ESIMeC, September 2012 Source : Boozand Co - INSEAD, based on INSEAD-WIPO, GII 2011

10 NEW EUROPE

Cllr Andrew Finney from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (UK) said:

Workforce development is key to ensure medium sized cities have

a skilled and adaptable workforce to respond to the current and

future needs of employers. This can only be achieved through

partnership working between the public, private and academic

sector. A skilled workforce able to meet the demands of businesses

will not only help cities to ride the recession but also ensure long-

term economic growth. Our residents are our main asset and we

need to ensure we invest in their development.

ESIMeC Partners 8 MediumSized Cities


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11NEW EUROPE

Urbanisation is a global megatrend that isset to continue. Although proceeding at aslower pace in Europe, where three quar-ters of the population already lives incities and towns, the projections for urbangrowth in the coming decades in othercontinents are staggering.

One of the key messages coming out ofthe UN-HABITAT World Urban Forumin Naples in September was that urbani-sation itself leads to development, and isnot only the result of it. Similarly, ourown mantra at EUROCITIES is thatsmart, sustainable and inclusive growth inEurope will only be achieved throughsmart, sustainable and inclusive cities.

After all, this is where 75% of the popula-tion lives, 80% of energy is used and 85%of GDP created.

Urban concentration makes best per

capita use of natural resources such asland, energy, and water, so cities have thepotential to be the most sustainable formof human settlement. Our model of well-managed urban concentration in Europeprovides a quality of urban life that is oneof our main pulling factors internationally.

But it is under strain, as public budgets arecut and the number of people relying onpublic services grows.

People see cities as offering opportuni-ties for personal betterment, for findingemployment, fulfilling ambitions andachieving a more stable economic situa-tion. Policies at all levels of governmentshould support cities in fulfilling these es-

sential functions for our societies and theeconomies that underpin them. We needthis now more than ever.

Europe is at a critical juncture, botheconomically and politically. Some of themost severe challenges we face are thedramatic unemployment figures, in par-ticular amongst young people. Faced withthe impacts of the crisis on everyday lives,a sense of powerlessness and disaffection

with polit ics prevai ls. I t is in our majorcities where things often come to a head,and the signs of social unrest have been

acutely felt again in recent weeks.This must bring i nto even st arker reli efhow crucial it is that we do all we can nowto strengthen the ability of our cities tosupport job creation, foster innovation, at-tract investment and tackle exclusion andpoverty. We must ensure our cities can

continue to create the life chances forthose who choose to live there, and helpget the economy back on track. And weneed to make these efforts visible and

wide-reach ing.Member states are drawing red lines

ahead of the summits in the autumnwhere the next multi- annual financ ialframework will be decided. So its critical

to underline the need to focus Europeanspending where it will have the greatestimpact and be most relevant to the great-est number of people. If we are to rely onmetropolitan Europe to lead Europe outof crisis, EU support, for example throughstructural funds and the new Horizon2020 programme, can help ensure vital in-

vestment by attracting private and pub licresources to achieve a multiplier effect.

We must maintain initiatives that make avisible difference to peoples lives, that cre-ate jobs and support the development of

innovative solutions and the green econ-omy. This would bring considerable Eu-ropean added-value.

Cities can also play a role in restoringpublic confidence. People usually relatestrongly to the place where they live and

work. These urban ident ities are estab -

lished regardless of where people wereborn, based around the positive stake theytake in their own communities. The linkto local government is often much moredirect than to national politics; citizenscan identify more closely to the peoplethey elect to lead and manage the life oftheir cities. This enables city mayors andleaders to connect more strongly to peo-

ple, in particular young people, communi-cating about the challenges and involvingcitizens in designing and delivering thesolutions.

The EUROCITIES annual conference,taking place in Nantes from 7-9 November,is addressing these issues. Entitled A newcity politics: inspiration, innovation, in-

volvement it will provide space to deb atehow cities strengthen their capacity to in-novate in how they meet the needs of citi-zens, and the role they have in politicalrenewal to ensure social cohesion, economic

prosperity and sustainable development.So the stakes are high at this crunchtime for Europe. The political and eco-nomic future of Europe may be uncertain.

What is certa in is that the future is in-creasingly urban and Europe needs its citymayors and leaders for both.

Vanda Knowles, Policy Director, EUROCITIES


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By 2050, 70% of the Worlds populationwill l ive in cities. This unprecedented in-crease in urban population will pose newchallenges to local leaders not only interms of social welfare, but also when itcomes to building sustainable cities. Howto further develop green public transport

in cities? How to produce clean energy toheat and cool districts? How to introducesmart technologies for improved energy-efficiency? Since 2008, the Covenant ofMayors is looking into these challengesand providing support to over 4,000 sig-natory cities across Europe. Can this gov-ernance model be exported outsideEurope?

The Covenant of Mayors is the main-stream European initiative involving citiesin climate mitigation via a more sustain-able use of energy. Launched by the Eu-

ropean Commission in 2008, it is avoluntar y commitment by citie s to go be-yond the EU energ y and climate obje c-tives and reduce their CO2 emissions byat least 20 per cent by 2020 via enhancedenergy efficiency and renewable energyuse in their territories.

In October 2012, the initiative includesover 4,300 local authorities from 47 coun-tries, representing all of the EU27 mem-ber states. Through the commitment oftheir local authorities, a staggering 165million citizens are now involved in the

Covenant of Mayors. Recognised as aleading example of successful EU multi-level governance, the Covenant is an un-precedented bottom-up, participative anddemocratic movement of cities supportedfrom the top by all EU institutions, em-powering local authorities in their decen-tralized energy management.

The Covenant of Mayors is not just ges-ture politics. As part of the initiative, localauthorities agree to compile within a yeara baseline emissions inventory (BEI) andto formulate a Sustainable Energy Action

Plan (SEAP) a comprehensive set of ac-tions in the fields of transport, housing,public lighting and urban development ingeneral. As of October 2012, around 1,700such SEAPs have been adopted by munic-ipal councils and are now under imple-mentation, aiming to reduce cumulativelyCO2 emissions by 106 million tonnes.

This represents more or less the equivalentof the total emissions of Portugal, Swedenand Hungary combined.

The vast interest in the Covenant ofMayors initiative from local and regionalauthorities is easy to understand. Localgovernments have a major role to play insustainable energy management. They notonly are consumers of energy in their pub-lic buildings or in the transports they op-erate, but they are also producers ofenergy via district heating and cogenera-

tion, as well as regulators (they can levylocal taxes, give construction permits,etc.). Closest to their citizens, they canalso motivate them and the local stake-holders to change behaviour. By takingownership of their local energy manage-ment, local authorities can make a realdifference for the welfare of their citizens:avoiding costly imported and wasted en-ergy and keeping money at home.

The succes s of the Covenant goes farbeyond the EU borders. Ushuaia andBuenos Aires are two far-distant signato-ries in Latin America. Recently two newCovenant of Mayors offices opened doorsin Ukraine (Lviv) and Georgia (Tbilisi) aspart of the Eastern partnership. TheCoMO-EAST aims to support local au-thorities in Eastern Europe, the Caucasusand Central Asia to reduce their depend-

ency on fossil fuels, improve the securityof the energy supply, and contribute moreactively to climate change mitigation.Currently there are 43 signatories in theCoMO-EAST region. A similar partner-ship is under development for theMediterranean region.

Since February 2012 the Covenant ofMayors is also the pivotal structure of theEU-China urbanisation partnership. On20 September, the first EU-China May-ors Forum brought together a hundred ofEuropean and Chinese mayors and cityofficers willing to reinforce their bilateralefforts to reach greater sustainability inurban areas. Supported by the EuropeanCommissions DG Energy and the Com-mittee of the Regions, the Covenant ofMayors will be the European counterpartof the Chinese Association of Mayors in

this new endeavour. The urbanisationpartnership will enhance bilateral cooper-ation in areas such as urban planning, en-ergy supply and demand management,development of green digital cities, mo-bility, inclusion of migrants and manage-ment of water and waste.

The Eastern and Southern extension o fthe Covenant of Mayors proves that theinitiative is a World-class example ofmulti-level governance and bottom-upapproach towards sustainability at the Eu-ropean, national and local levels. Can sucha model be replicated outside Europe incountries where central governments playa very strong role? Only time will tell.Meanwhile the Covenant of Mayors ini-tiative will remain the key European dia-logue structure for mayors committed tourban sustainability across the globe.

By taking ownership of their local energy management,

local authorities can make a real

difference for the welfare of their citizens:avoiding costly imported and wasted energy

and keeping money at home

12 NEW EUROPE


13/20

13NEW EUROPE

Urbanisation is a phenomenon that has, andcontinues to, affect countries across the globe.Europe has a long history of urban migrationand today three-quarters of the entire EUpopulation live in cities areas generating some85% of Europe's total GDP. This trend is notexpected to slow with predictions that by

2050 two-thirds of the total world populationwill be living in cities. The questions andchallenges posed by urban growth are sharedand are many from the strain placed on en-ergy resources, services and infrastructure todealing with poverty, overcrowding, social dis-integration and production of carbon emis-sions issues accentuated by austerity policiesand disinvestment. Finding the right answersto this complex issue is paramount if we are toassure the quality of life that so many millionsof citizens should expect.

Yet the impact of urban development is

paradoxical: whilst creating challenges, citiesare also part of the solution to these problemsbeing drivers for unprecedented social andeconomic development. At this time of fi-nancial crisis cities play a key role in stimu-lating creativity, attracting talent, helping theunemployed get back to work and promotingentrepreneurship. At all levels of governance,

whether it be at the local, national or EUlevel, taking a systematic and sustainable ap-proach to urban development can contributeto not only supporting local citizens but helpset the right path for exiting the crisis. Cities

can make an important contribution to theEU's strategy on growth - Europe2020 -which sets out ambitious plans to achieve"smart, sustainable and inclusive growth".Urban sustainable development offers us anopportunity to achieve these objectives, im-prove the day-to-day lives of city dwellers

whilst also protecting our precious environ-ment. But if we are to take advantage of theseopportunities we need to take an approachthat engages all levels of governance. Whentwo-thirds of total public investment and70% of European rules are implemented by

our local and regional authorities, we simplycan not ignore the local level in helpingachieve these crucial goals.

This year the European Union has been in-volved in several initiatives which confirmthat our cities do have the motivation and po-litical will to create a green, inclusive and sus-tainable economy. The Covenant of Mayors,for example, demonstrates just how local andregional authorities are actively involved inthe fight against climate change. Since itslaunch in 2008 more than 4000 signatoriesrepresenting 160 million citizens have volun-tarily committed to meet and exceed the EU's20% CO2 reduction objectives. We need totake this further and we have argued that thescheme should be expanded beyond energyissues and include the full range of natural re-sources helping create a more resource effi-cient economy boosting green growth,

creating green jobs at local level and makingthe EU even more competitive on the globalstage. The European Green Capital Award,launched by the European Commission,awards cities for their innovative approachesto improving the environment and spurringeconomic development is yet another exam-ple of how our urban areas are ready to takeon the challenge and find innovative solutionson urbanisation.

The Committee of the Regions held aSummit in March this year bringing together

elected representatives and stakeholders fromthe 27 EU Member States with a view ofplacing sustainable urban development on theEuropean and global agenda. Members of theCommittee of the Regions, as the elected rep-resentatives of the EUs local and regionalgovernments, adopted the CopenhagenDeclaration for more beautiful, greener, in-clusive, competitive and better integratedcities. This was part of our preparations forthe United Nations Conference on Sustain-able Development in Rio (Rio+20) whichthough didnt set out the roadmap that wehad hoped for, did place sustainable develop-ment and the green economy on the globalagenda. It was also an opportunity for us tosign an agreement with the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP) which as-pires to promote our knowledge and under-standing of a sustainable Europe to other

continents.The appreciation of how vital it is to pool

expertise and share knowledge underpinnedthe EU-China Urbanisation Partnershipsigned earlier this year. Though there are dif-ferences between Europe and China, thechallenges and solutions to urbanisation aresimilar which is why mayors from both con-tinents signed a Charter during the firs t EU-China Mayor's Forum, organised within theframework of the Partnership, committing tocreating "harmonious societies based on sus-

tainable and inclusive development". Thisevent showed again that if international andurban sustainable development is to succeedand deliver long-lasting results we need tofind new ways of involving sub-national andlocal governments in taking decisions.

These initiatives and agreements demon-strate that there is the will by our cities to helpdrive urban sustainable development. It alsoshows that we need to create new forms ofgovernance to support cities to take an en-hanced sustainable way of managing oururban areas. We need to provide the resources,opportunities and platforms to allow net-

working for decision-makers at a sub-na-tional level to share the wealth of experience,knowledge and innovative thinking withother cities in Europe and across the globe.

We need to tap the potential of our cities for

the future prosperity and integration of Eu-rope. By giving local and regional authoritiesa greater degree of autonomy on urban policy,listening and working in partnership withthem and increasing their capacity, we canhelp find a path towards a more sustainablefuture. But, as I have said and will continueto say, to achieve this we need more, not less,Europe.

We need toprovide the

resources,opportunities andplatforms to allow

networkingfor decision-makers at

a sub-nationallevel to share the

wealth of experience,knowledge and

innovative thinking


14/20

To outsiders, the problems rais ed by in-creased urbanization in Africa seem insur-mountable but the new Director for UNHabitat in Brussels, Jean- Christophe

Adrian di sagrees, saying building sustain-able cities after many decades of poor ornon-existent planning can be done, but it

will take resources, time and most impor-tantly a change in focus from the develop-

ment community.Adrian moved to Nairobi in 1988, join-

ing Habitat a couple of years later, then hemoved to Haiti before arriving in Brusselsto start his new post two months ago.

The Kenyan capital is where the magni-tude of Africas change into urban societiescan be seen, alongside the problems. TheKibera district, in Nairobis South West isa popular destination for journalists andothers to stand horrified by the squalor ofan estimated quarter of a million people,living with precious little water and fewer

amenities.That generations have lived there, and in

many places like it, with no sign of im-provement, is a source of shame. Althoughurbanization is causing severe difficultiesall over the world, and the struggle to re-frame urban centres as sustainable cities isa serious challenge for even the most de-

veloped nations, i t is in Afr ica where theissue is at its most raw.

Throughout the cont inent, millions aretrapped in urban slums, trapped in grind-ing poverty, trapped with disease, without

education. But are they trapped withouthope? Are the problems of urbanizationoverwhelming?

No, says Jean- Christophe Adrian, whocan see a long and difficult path to a betterfuture.

For too long we have seen cities and ur-banization as a result of development andas a negative result, he adds. What we sayis urbanization is development. That is

where you create economies of sc ale, ad-vancement in the economy, politics. Its allhappening in urbanization. You cant have

urbanization without development.Adrian points out, In Europe, nobody isquestioning that we developed because weurbanized. If Europe is advanced it is be-cause we urbanized, industrialized earlyon.

These remarks are a challenge to devel-opment orthodoxy, which has seen urban-ization as a negative and one reason largedevelopment resources have been dispersedin rural areas was to try to keep peoplefrom migrating to cities.

Im not saying that you shouldnt sup-port rural development, but you cant haverural development without cities, says

Adrian, Where are you going to sell yourcrops, for example?

How are we going to accommodate theinevitability of urban growth? asks

Adrian. First we must have an overall na-

tional framework, and many countries donot have an urbanization policy, with in-

struments for financing policies.Secondly, it is the local authorities whoare in charge, Mayors and their teams. Veryoften they are not properly equipped tech-nically or financially. This needs to be fo-cused on, supporting local authorities tohelp them plan. We must support nationalgovernments to make sustainable urban-ization plans and the local government inimplementing them.

What does a p lan need? The planningprocess doesnt require genius, weve hadmaster plans for a city before, where a cou-ple of million dollars goes to a consultancyto write one. Where do these plans go? Ina drawer and they stay there.

How to make a better plan? You involveall the actors who are shaping the city, be-cause they are the ones who will imple-ment a plan, he adds, noting, There is a

phenomenon that we are seeing, that slumdwellers are beginning to get organized.

This i s very important. They are also in abetter position to manage their own devel-opment.

Adrian says that the best way of dealingwith l arge urban slums is to make a map.Often the slum districts are off the chartsof government and by using local commu-nities a multi-layered map can be con-structed to make the first step in planning,finding out exactly what the situation onthe ground is.

These communit ies are a tremendousresource, these people are real survivors,smart, intelligent and adaptable people,says Adrian, believing that communitybuilt maps can show what is needed andhelp local authorities plan and improveservices.

A community can say that they willclear the garbage, but then you need the

local authorities, because they will thenneed to dispose of the collected waste.

Another result is that, by bringi ng inslum dwellers into mapping and commu-nity groups, they are also being brought infrom the margins of political and economiclife.

While the problems are enormous, asAdrian says, people are not going to stopmoving to cities and that cities are growingeven without newcomers and policymak-ers must accept the reality that this trend

will continue.The cities will grow and so will the

number of people who live in urban slums,currently estimated at 850 million.

Thats one person in seven.Its time to change how we think about

development and urbanization or thesepeople, like their parents and grandparents,

will be condemned by our inaction to a lifefull of squalor and devoid of hope.

What we say is urbanization is development. That is where

you create economies of scale, advancement in the economy,

politics. Its all happening in urbanization. You cant haveurbanization without development

14 NEW EUROPE


15/20

15NEW EUROPE

The European Urban Media Network forConnecting Cities is a four year initiative tocreate an infrastructure for producing, pre-senting and circulating artistic and social con-tent on media facades and screens in urbanpublic space. The core network is formed byorganisations in 11 European cities and theproject is supported by EU Culture pro-gramme.

The project will run from 2012 - 2016 in-volving the following organisations: PublicArt Lab Ars Electronica Futurelab FACTFoundation for Art and Technology ArsElectronica Futurelab iMAL center for digi-tal cultures and technology Medialab-Pradom-cult Amber Platform Videospread Riga2014 Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb

Media Architecture Institute Aarhus Uni-versity Digital Urban Living MUTEK Mar-seille-Provence 2013.

The European Urban Media Network forConnecting Cities receives funding from the

EU Culture Programme. The 4-year net-working initiative includes 11 European or-ganisations working together to build aninfrastructure for media arts presented inpublic space.

The project builds on experiences fromMedia Facades Festival Europe 2010, and ex-tends the partner network also overseas: theproject was presented at Montreal'sMUTEK. The actual kick-off of the network

will take place in Helsinki, hosted by m-cultduring the Media Facades 2012 festival.

A part of the Networked City project, in

2013 the Connecting Cities Network willdiscuss the question of how urban media fa-cades can become a catalyst for shared en-counters in an identity-building temporaryfield of interaction across the borders oftime and distance. The curators of the Con-necting Cities Network will select nin artistprojects for the Networked City 2013.

These projects will be presented on theurban media facades of the participatingcities and open live windows to the cities.

The main challenge of Networked City willbe to identify contents with relevance on an

international level and to develop technol-ogy standards by comparing the differentlocal and national circumstances and pro-duction conditions.

SET UP OF A EUROPEAN URBAN

MEDIA NETWORK

The European Urban Media Network forConnecting Cities is a project initiated byPublic Art Lab in co-operation with ArsElectronica GmbH Linz, BIS Body Process

Arts Association Istanbul, FACT Liverpool,iMAL Brussels, m-cult Helsinki, MedialabPrado Madrid, Media Architecture Institute

Wien, Museum of Contemporary Art Za-greb, Riga 2014, Videospread Marseille, in as-sociation with University of Aarhus,Marseille-Provence 2013 and MUTEKMontral and funded by the EuropeanUnion.

Our aim is to create a networked infra-structure of urban media facades to circu-late artistic and socio-cultural contentthroughout the whole of Europe. Media fa-cades and digital big screens provide newopportunities for communication in thepublic space. Through modern Informationand communication technologies (ICT),they are membranes between the digital andthe urban spaces. All over the world we canevidence an increase of urban screens, mediafacades and media technologies like mobile

phones: 5,9 of 7 billion people have mean-while access to the internet. What is the po-tential of urban media besides thecommercial usage for advertisement? Howcan they catalyse communication andawareness of our environments and con-tribute to a lively society? How can we cre-ate an exchange between local scenes andneighbourhoods thus giving a voice to thepublic audience? Which impact will theyhave for our global communities?

We will investigate these questions and is-sues within our 4-years artistic research pro-gramme Urban Media Network forConnecting Cities in which we pursue the vi-sion of setting up an urban media network tocontribute in a sustainable way to the digitalfuture urban media development in our Eu-ropean cities. We approach this vision of theConnecting Cities through three scenar-

ios:Networked City 2013 ParticipatoryCity 2014 Visible City 2015. None of themcan actually be researched isolated, but every

year will have a particular focus:

NETWORKED CITY 2013

- open-up real-time windows between thecities- connect the local scenes and neighbour-hoods

PARTICIPATORY CITY 2014

- include the public audience in artisticprocesses- use the urban media facades as digitalstages

VISIBLE CITY 2015

- data visualisation of sensor networks- real-time open data processing

CALL FOR PROPOSAL FOR THE

NETWORKED CITY 2013

In 2013 the Connecting Cities Networkwill discuss the question of how urban mediafacades can become a catalyst for shared en-counters in an identity-building temporaryfield of interaction across the borders of timeand distance. How can art projects be used toconnect the local public virtually with remoteplaces? What are the expectations and visionsof our European neighbours? The Networked

City 2013 intends to connect local neigh-bourhoods through participatory processes.

MISSION: HUMAN FUTURES OF

CONNECTING CITIES

The Urban Media Network for Connect-ing Cities is challenging a new level of lead-ership: Policy makers, economists and urbanplanners have failed to value the innovationfactors of artists interventions and experi-ments, yet we all struggle with the rate of so-cial and technological change. The projects

shown within the Connecting Cities Net-work will maximise the value of Urban Mediaactivities, making accessible content of highrelevance to broader sets of communities, in-cluding public audiences and thereby buildingstronger links with policy makers on issues ofsustainability, transport, cultural identity anddiversity, education, urban informatics and so-ciety than thus so far. Smart Cities and OpenSource Innovation are main issues within theNetworks aim of reinforcing a social, culturaland collaborative power of technologies.

RelevanceCreating in the peoples mind not only

awareness but also understanding for the cur-rent evolution of our urban environments, theConnecting Cities scenarios support the ideaof the public space as space for creativity, vis-ibility and exchange of culture where a con-nected public sphere is created.

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Reacting to the UK Department forTransport' s announcement on locali sedfunding for major transport schemes, Pol-icy Director at char ity Sustrans, Jason Tor-rance, commented.

"We welcome moves that allow commu-nities to play a greater role in deciding

local transport spending and infrastructure,but any changes must also reflect the long-term needs of the nation as a whole, in-cluding using effective alternatives toexpensive and damaging road construction.

"Government needs ensure that low costand better value options, including walk-ing, cycling and public transport schemes,are considered on a level playing field.

There is a risk that local transport schemes

will ignore wider pr iorities, including theneed to reduce carbon emissions."

More of the decisions on the majortransport schemes that have a significantimpact on peoples daily lives will be takenat a local level, Transport Minister NormanBaker has confirmed today.

A public consultation on the devolutionof decision-making on major local schemesshowed broad support for the proposalsand the Department for Transport willnow be going ahead with the plans out-lined in the consultation.

Local major transport schemes have tra-ditionally been individually approved andfunded by Government under a centralisedbidding process. In the future funding will

be allocated locally according to popula-tion, allowing priorities to be decided bynewly established Local Transport Bodies

which will be made up of l ocal transpor tauthorities, local enterprise partnerships(LEPs) and others with a key interest.

We want decisions on new transport in-

frastructure to be made more efficiently,and at a more local level than has previ-ously been the case, Norman Baker said.

While it is right for the Government tolook at the big picture and co-ordinateschemes with a national impact, there is nosubstitute for local knowledge. That is why

we want to make sure that important deci-sions affecting the future of towns andcities across England are made by those

who best underst and the specifi c issuesfacing their communities, Baker said.

Decisions on the use of the devolvedfunding will be made by Local TransportBodies which will be expected to demon-strate to local stakeholders and centralGovernment that the schemes they will

carry forward provide good value formoney. Detailed guidance on how to pro-vide this assurance will be published by theDepartment for Transport in due course.

Sustrans is the charity that's enablingpeople to travel by foot, bike or publictransport for more of the journeys wemake every day. It's time we all began mak-ing smarter travel choices.

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17NEW EUROPE

In Fuzhou, the capital of southern ChinasFujian Province, signs of Chinas fast-paced

urbanization are easily spotted: the citys firstsubway line under construction, traffic con-gestion during peak hours, and peoplecrammed into buses.

Today, more than 660 million people inChina live in cities, and 13 million more pourin every year. Building smart transport sys-tems in cities is instrumental in accommo-dating the rising needs of the rapidly-growingurban population, experts say.

But in most Chinese cities, like elsewherein the developing world, city planners andmanagers tend to do urban transport plan-ning in a piecemeal fashion, which has notbeen very effective while the intent is to im-prove traffic flow, only building flyovers and

widening roads could lead to an increase intraffic and congestion in the long run; andhigh costs of rail mass transit system maylimit their extent and coverage.

A World Bank program tries to help themadopt a comprehensive and integrated ap-proach to urban transport issues.

The Program"Urban transport is complex - it is more

than just technologies. You need to consider awhole lot of issues: affordability, cultural andenvironment issues, local politics, energy is-sues, financing. You also need to look at theneeds of women, older people, children, saidO.P. Argawal, Urban Transport Advisor, the

World Bank.

"If you ask me what is the key issue of allthese, I think it is the lack of leadership and

the lack of courage to understand the com-plexity of the issues, and professionals thatcan articulate all of these in a way that can beimplemented, said Jose Luis Irigoyen, Di-rector, Transport, Water and InformationUnit, the World Bank.

To fill the gap, the World Bank, togetherwith international and domestic developmentpartners, launched the Leaders in Urban

Transport Planning program, aiming to de-velop a more comprehensive understandingof urban transport planning among seniorpolicy makers and planners in cities, provin-cial governments and national governments.

In January this year, the first internationaloffering of the program took place in Singa-pore, where over 60 participants from 13countries participated.

In June, the World Banks China UrbanTransport team brought the program toChina. The first workshop held in Fuzhoudrew over 50 participants from 12 cities.

Suppose each of these cities need 10 peo-ple with strong leadership skills in urbantransport planning. That would mean thatChina will need 1,000 such leaders.

Ke Fang Senior Urban Transport Special-ist, the World Bank

China Takes InitiativeMore than a hundred Chinese cities have

populations of more than a million each, in-cluding Fuzhou, where 7 million people live.

Suppose each of these cities need 10 peoplewith strong leadership skills in urban trans-

port planning. That would mean that Chinawill need 1,000 such leaders, said Ke Fang, asenior urban transport specialist with the

World Bank."While their technical capacity may suffice,

holistic thinking on leadership levels remainsa big gap, said Liu Zhi, a lead infrastructurespecialist with the World Bank.

At the workshop in Fuzhou, internationalexperts introduced global trends and chal-lenges in urban transport development andparticipants engaged in three case studies:

Jakartas metropolitan transport; Beijingscomprehensive measures for congestion alle-

viation; and New Delhis Airport ExpressMetro.

In an open discussion, participants talkedabout how to overcome the barriers to effec-tive coordination between different depart-ments in urban transport development andmanagement.

"The trainings tried to meet the specialneeds of mid-career professionals. So insteadof lectures on theories, they focused on casestudies. Instead of one-time informationoverload, they were given gradual inputs.

They also had hands-on exercises and site vis-its, said Li Sheng, a senior learning special-ist with the World Bank Institute.

The feedback from the participants in theFuzhou workshop was very positive:

Xu Lixia, Wuhan Urban Construction Uti-lization of Foreign Investment Project Manage-

ment Office"The case studies inspired me to think and

reflect. I also actively interacted with trainersand other participants. I manage urban trans-port projects - what I've learned here will di-rectly help with what I do.

Chen Zhiyun, Vice General Manager, FuzhouPublic Transport Station Construction Company

"This workshop provided us with newideas and diverse ways of thinking, as well asinternational experience in traffic manage-ment, planning and control.

Zhang Wenjie, Director, Urban ConstructionCommission of the Xining Municipality

"The format is very good. I would like to seethe next workshop take place in western China.

We want to learn from the more advancedcities ways to cope with traffic congestion be-fore it becomes a serious problem. We want tolearn how to take early actions to avoid the highcosts of increasing congestion.

Next StepsMotivated and inspired, the World Banks

China Urban Transport team, in partnershipwith the World Bank Institute, plans to movethis program one step further in China tospecifically target mayors and senior munici-pal government officials who are in charge ofurban transport policies and strategies.

"We are discussing with potential Chinesepartners about hosting and owning this pro-gram in China and organizing the trainingson a long-term basis. With that, we hope tocontribute to the efficient transport develop-ment in Chinese cities, said Ke Fang.

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If the city of Chengdu has a civic uniform,the hard hat would be its ceremonial head-gear; its ubiquity not simply confined to the

workplace, to the impressive endless paradeof large-scale building projects that domi-nate the changing landscape of the city. Atany given time of day, seemingly, hordes ofpeople walk the streets to and from work

wearing the distinctive yellow hats, givingthe place a busy feel, of a purpose being ful-filled. It is hard to escape the notion of acity being built form the ground up, which,in many ways, it is. Its all down to ChinasGo West policy.

Located inland in western China,Chendu is the capital of the SichuanProvince, with a population of about 14million people spread out over 12,400 kilo-metres; but with a government decree it isgetting bigger. By 2020, the city will haveswelled to a population of about 20 million,

with major developments in technology andsoftware parks, in energy projects, logisticsand automotive manufacturing. The gov-ernment has placed a lot of faith inChengdu.

Last year, the city turned over an excessof RMB 1 trillion from enterprises bothlocal and international, including over 200Fortune 500 companies. Promotional ma-terial proudly boasts of it being one of themost liveable cities in China, as well as oneof the best for doing business in. it is equallyproud of both its long cultural heritage as itis current city management and town plan-ning programmes.

The push for constant economicgrowth is the driver behind Chengdus ex-pansion plans. The city is divided into var-

ious industrial zones, which will facilitate itsprojected industrial development trends. Inaddition, it is to preserve special environ-mental green areas in order to maintain theits reputation for liveability.

The Longquanyi District , one of nine inChengdu, houses the economic and tech-nical development zone. The zone (abbre-

viated to CDETDZ ), was originallyapproved as a state-level economic andtechnological area in by the state councilin 2000, and endorsed by other ministriesin the years that followed. It is currently amanufacturing base for the electronics and,especially, the automotive industry, whichcity planners want to become the Motownof China.

The scale and ambition of the CDETDZis impressive, and a source, not just of localpride, but as a totem for international suc-cess partnerships with European and

Asian auto manufacturers can attest to thepulling power of the districts ambitions and as an integrated hub for Chinese work-ers, with added support services planned forroad, energy and telecommunications, butto outsiders might seen somewhat imper-sonal, which is not an uncommon feeling.

The Tianfu Software Park, located in thesouthern part of Chengdus Hi-Tech zone,is an case in point. At 130km2 it is consid-ered by its managers as being not so big,and attracts a high proportion of interna-

tional companies, including from EU mem-ber states such as France and Germany, that

work together with local companies. All in

all, about 100 companies from the Fortune500 list are located here.The park is Asias larges t profes sional

technology park, and one of Chinasbiggest software industry bases, with atotal of 40,000 employees. About 40% ofthe companies contained in the park areforeign-funded, and Tianfu contains anumber of the worlds biggest technologyenterprises, such as Huawei, IBM, GE,Philips, Dell, Siemens, Ericsson andCisco, who work together with local com-panies. There are plans to strengthen co-operation with the EU.

All in all, says Christine Du, president ofthe Tianfu Software Park, the future isquite bright. The park houses companiesinvolved in various aspects of the technol-ogy sector; telecommunications, informa-tion securities, animation (the top fiveChinese animation companies are stationedhere), IT and software development, andbusiness outsourcing.

The success o f the park, says Du, is itsability to attract high-level graduates. Thetalent pool is huge, he says. Every yea inChengdu, about 160,000 students graduate,and, generally speaking, about 80-9

urbanisation print edition (2012)

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