1. Local economic development in less favoured urban areas
Messages
Discover the new cohesion policy : it opens a wide range of public and private investment opportunities.
Public-private partnerships: working together for more competitiveness, innovation and sustained regional growth.
EU Cohesion policy means achieving more together – Structural Funds investments make enlargement a success for all.
Investing in Europe: Regions and cities deliver the Growth and Jobs agenda.
Patrick FOURGUETTE
URBACT thematic expert

2. The URBACT Programme
aims to develop exchanges of experience between European cities and the actors, which have been involved in the URBAN Programmes, initiated and implemented by the European Union since the late 1980s (URBAN Pilot Projects and URBAN I and II), while at the same time contributing to an improvement of actions carried out at local and regional level in order to find the most efficient solutions to common problems.
Exchange of experience between European Cities
Capitalisation of experience
Dissemination of experience

3. Economic development
a major dimension for regeneration of less favoured urban areas = creation of wealth,
in relation with other components of urban life (housing, infrastructures, safety…)‏
generated by ENTERPRISES located in the city territory.
Economic development
a major dimension for regeneration of less favoured urban areas = creation of wealth,
in relation with other components of urban life (housing, infrastructures, safety…)‏
generated by ENTERPRISES located on the city territory.

4. how to generate more « enterprise »?
In the less favoured areas, lack of enterprises
Problem for the City:
how to generate more « enterprise »?
By acting on:
Support instruments
Enterprise opportunities

5. Traditional support instruments 
For the big businesses, tailor made services on request,
For the small businesses, collective support instruments on:
access to finance,
market information,
management skills.
How to create more businesses in less favoured areas?

6. Pre-conditions
Adequate taxation
information on their business community
information on local business requirements,
interface with the small business community

7. Instruments
Financial and non financial support instruments
Information and communication
Regulation instruments
Support to human capital
Improvement of environment / infrastructures
Partnership

8. Opportunities
Heritage, cultural industries
Physical regeneration, infrastructures, improvement of environment
Services to residents, social inclusion, diversity
Possibly knowledge economy

9. The strengths of the Cities:
Proximity
Legitimacy
Public status
Creativity
Capacity to form partnerships
Entrepreneurial capacity

10. 5 major issues to be addressed:
Integrated approach
Partnership with other administrative levels (regional, national) and necessity of raising awareness
Entrepreneurial capacity with social economy
Public procurement procedures in relation with the involvement of the business community: external / big businesses vs. local / small businesses
Sustainability of the actions: evaluation, partnership, access to the market

11. Additional information: http://urbact.eu
Thank you for your attention
Questions?