URBACT II: Actualities in 2012 Iván Tosics Thematic Pole Manager

URBACT II  European Programme of Territorial Cooperation ( jointly financed by ERDF and Member States – budget 69 M€ )  Main objective To promote Integrated & Sustainable Urban Development  Operational objectives  To facilitate exchange and learning among EU cities  To draw lessons, build knowledge based on cities' experience (capitalization) & disseminate good practices and lessons learnt  To support policy-makers and practitioners to improve policies for sustainable urban development (capacity building)  Main tool: Networks (8-12 partners – 33 months – €)  URBACT = the only ETC programme dedicated to transnational cooperation & capitalisation on urban issues URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 2

Fostering the impact of the programme on urban policies: the « URBACT method » 1) TRANSNATIONAL EXCHANGE  Sharing experience, learning, drawing lessons for « the outside world »  A strict balance between Comp and Conv partners  Action-oriented: Local Action Plans  Involving local stakeholders: URBACT Local Support Groups  Involving Managing Authorities  Permanent support to networks & community of work (experts, Secretariat)  A staged approach: networks created in 2 stages (6-month Development phase) 2)CAPITALISATION  Project level (expert support, baseline study)  Programme level: clustering of networks, experts animating thematic clusters 3) COMMUNICATION & DISSEMINATION  Project level: projects responsible for Comm° & Dissemination  Programme level: a flagship website hosting all projects’ websites, annual events, publications, National Dissemination Points URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 3

Implementation to date  3 calls for proposals 2008: 19 thematic networks & 7 working groups (completed) 2010: 9 thematic networks (ongoing, end of implement° phase) 2012: 19 thematic networks (dvpt phase)  540 partners involved in approved projects 90% cities Predominance of small & medium size cities 28 Member/ Partner states covered URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 5

Geographical coverage URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 6

Thematic coverage URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 7

Achievements to date 1. Project level  Thematic outputs delivered by 26 completed projects  3800 persons involved in Local support groups (call 1 and Call 2 only)  250 Local Action Plans delivered (call 1 only) 2. Programme level  Thematic outputs (Cities responses to the crisis 2010, URBACT results 2011)  4 Annual conferences  First Summer University for URBACT Local Support Groups (2011) URBACT programme Thursday, 13 August 2015 I Page 8

Important specialities of URBACT projects › All URBACT II project partners must establish and lead a Local Support Group (ULSG). The ULSG assembles the main interested parties and local actors concerned by the specific topic which is the focus for the project. › Project partners are also responsible to develop their Local Action Plan (LAP). Each partner develops a LAP in order to respond to local urban issues with the hope of increasing the impact of URBACT exchanges on local policies and practises. › The method to create LAP with ULSG is a different knowledge creation than just to collect existing knowledge › The involvement of both the ULSG and the remaining project partners creates a ‘peer review’ approach which helps to ensure quality and richness of the LAPs.

URBACT innovation: ULSGs The total number of persons involved in the 201 ULSGs (Call 1 and Call 2) amounts to members. The size of ULSGs ranges from small groups with 6-8 members to large groups involving members. On average, ULSGs gather between 10 and 15 persons ULSGs involve a great variety of stakeholders: › over 1/3 of ULSG members (35%) are representatives of the local administration, while 11% of national and regional level › civil society gives almost 1/4 of ULSG members (22%) › the private sector gives more than 11% of ULSG members

ULSG composition: the weak points Weak point of ULSG composition: the low participation of elected representatives (5% only of the ULSG members). Even so 60% of partners report the participation of elected officials to some of the ULSG meetings. This figure is slightly below 50 % for Managing Authorities. Almost 50% of the ULSG members do speak English.

ULSGs: activities Main activities of the ULSGs: › coproduction of the Local Action Plan: 94% › validation of the Local Action Plan: 86% › preparation of input for transnational exchanges: 78% ULSG linkages to transnational activities: › preparation of input for network seminars (LAPs and case studies): 78% › travel and visit partner cities: 76% › participation to network seminars: 71% › participation to URBACT programme events (Annual conference, City Labs, etc.): 61%

ULSGs: perceptions Intangible: new partnerships/ ways of working (ULSG survey 2011) › « 90% declare ULSG has fostered the integrated approach » › « 86% declare ULSG played a useful role in developing LAP » › « 85% foresee ULSG will continue to operate after end of network »

URBACT innovations: LAP 250 Local Action Plans delivered (call 1 only) LAP implementation is a major issue (Mid Term Evaluation 2010) › « 20% declare having received funds from OP for LAP implement° » › « 60% declare having no secure funding for LAP implementation » Difficult for partners to link Local Action Plans to funds available in the OP (structure, calendar issues, etc.)

From LAPs to EU funded projects There is a need to reinforce cooperation with MAs Local capacities to develop participative action planning and integrated urban policies have to be strengthened › Besides continuing URBACT Summer University new ideas: National capacity-building scheme for ULSG members to start in 2013 with 3rd call partners; Pilot Training Scheme for elected representatives in 2013 Analyses of ERDF projects (50 case study analysis, ERDF housing) show that many of the most successful, integrated projects come from URBACT (or Interreg) projects › even so, the share of ERDF financed URBACT projects remains low…

URBACT II Capitalisation on urban experience and knowledge URBACT Project Results published 2011 (Projects call 1) URBACT final conferences and events (Projects call 2) URBACT Workstreams launched 2012 URBACT’s answers for integrated & sustainable urban development to urban threats (report “Cities of Tomorrow”) To identify, harness and transfer good practices from other ETC programmes (INTERREG IVC, ESPON, INTERACT) and relevant organisations To issue practical recommendations to support European cities

Resources for capitalisation with workstreams Knowledge Resources URBACT projects (Call 1, Call 2, Call 3) Projects of other ETC programmes Inputs from other relevant organisations (OECD, CIVITAS, CECODHAS, Eurocities, etc) Human Resources 1 coordinator per workstream (URBACT Pole Manager or expert) A core group of up to 7 people: URBACT community (experts and city partners), ETC projects, EU/other organisations Expert witnesses (for hearings)

Activities and outputs Roadmap for each work stream will include 3 core group meetings (April-May, June, September) 2 hearings with expert witnesses Possible participation in important EU events (Open days, UN Habitat conference, others) URBACT annual conference (3-4 Dec 2012) Outputs will include 1 article per workstream for the URBACT Tribune 2012 Workshops in the URBACT annual conference Enriched thematic papers in January 2013 Policy papers (early 2013)

URBACT Annual Conference 2012 Copenhagen, 3-4 December 2012 Monday, 3 December, from › Opening (Mayor, Minister, DG Regio, Commissioner) › Six paralel interactive workshops (1st round) › The European urban model in comparison: US, South American, African, Asian comparative examples Tuesday, 4 December, until › EU responses to urban challenges (European Parliament, URBACT MC chair, DG Regio, Mayor) › URBACT Café › Six paralel interactive workshops (2nd round) › Solving the urban policy puzzle (workshop reporting back) › Towards URBACT III