Opinion of the European economic and social Committee on Towards balanced development of the urban environment: challenges and opportunities
Date: 2008-06-03
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: ESC opinion, database, demography, environmental protection, quality of life, urban habitat, urbanisation, working conditions

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Opinion of the European economic and social Committee on ‘Towards balanced development of
the urban environment: challenges and opportunities’

(2009/C 77/27)

On 25 October 2007, pursuant to Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Jean-
Pierre Jouyet, Minister of State attached to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and responsible for
European Affairs, asked the European Economic and Social Committee, on behalf of the future French Presi-
dency, to draw up an exploratory opinion on

Towards balanced development of the urban environment: challenges and opportunities.

The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion, which was responsible
for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 14 July 2008. The rapporteur
was Mr van Iersel and the co-rapporteur was Mr Grasso.

At its 447th plenary session, held on 17 and 18 September 2008 (meeting of 17 September 2008), the
European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion unanimously.

URBAN ENVIRONMENT: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

1. Conclusions and recommendations

governments (2). The discussion will be put on a new footing.
The cooperation between Commission and Council will be
streamlined in an operational way. It will also stress the own
responsibility of governments.

1.1
Cities in their broad variety are at the core of demo-
graphic and socio-economic developments in Europe. Their
impact and performances depend on their dimension, and on
the range of activities as well as on the quality of life and work
within their territory.

1.2
The EESC is supporting the basic ideas laid down in the
Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities and the Terri-
torial Agenda of the European Union (1). The EESC notes that a
number of DGs of the Commission and European Programmes
and Agencies increasingly address opportunities and challenges
in the urban environment, often referring to the Lisbon Agenda.
A Green paper on territorial cohesion is expected in the autumn
of 2008.

Further deepening and broadening of

the European
1.3
debate is desirable with respect to resilient and sustainable cities,
and city-regions or metropolitan areas across Europe. To that
end the EESC recommends the establishment of an EU High
Level Group on ‘Urban Development and Sustainability’.

1.4
In this High Level Group a in-depth knowledge of
specific interests of cities should be represented. The Green
paper on territorial cohesion can be a welcome starting point.

1.5
In cooperation with the Commission — the Interservice
Group Urban Affairs — such High Level Group may contribute
to a more effective and targeted European debate on cities,
amongst others by setting a prospective agenda, a list of
and
relevant

cities, metropolitan

issues

areas

for

(1) ‘Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities’ and ‘Territorial Agenda of
the European Union, Towards a More Competitive and Sustainable Europe of
Diverse Regions’, agreed on the occasion of the Informal Ministerial
Meeting on Urban Development in Leipzig on 24/25 May 2007.

1.6
As reliable data are crucial, Commission and Eurostat
can be supportive to extend statistical reporting at NUTS (3) 3
and 2 level to data concerning cities and metropolitan areas and
their networks. Arrangements with Member States, the National
Statistics Offices, and research institutes (4) are desirable for
building-up appropriate databases.

ESPON (5) is very well placed as a centre for analysis and
1.7
knowledge, for monitoring developments, and as a platform for
analytical exchanges between Member States.

1.8
In a number of areas governments are setting conditions,
but implementation and concrete action take mostly place at
decentralised level, such as regarding internal and external acces-
conditions,
sibility,

environment,

education,

family

life

(2) As far as the content of this agenda is concerned, the words of Mr Falco,
French Secretary of State for Regional Planning, before the EP REGI
Committee on 16 July 2008 could act as a guideline: ‘… we wish, in part-
nership with local decisionmakers, to draw up a common frame of reference for
the sustainable community-based city. More specifically, this means launching
a shared process for drawing up common criteria and indicators so as to give an
operational content to the recommendations of the Leipzig Charter’.

(3) Nomenclature of statistical territorial units compiled by EUROSTAT.
NUTS 2: from 800 000 to 3 000 000 inhabitants; NUTS 3: from
150 000 to 800 000 inhabitants.

(4) TNO, a Dutch research institute, developed a monitor on a wide array
of variables at metropolitan level: demography, economy (value added,
labour productivity), labour market (unemployment, education, labour
force), environment (air quality) infrastructure, offices market, tourism
etc. Data come from Eurostat and additional sources to compare
Randstad Holland with 19 other main European metropolises for
1995-2006. The data from Eurostat are made compatible with those
from the OECD. They are annually reviewed. Other metropolitan areas
could also be monitored.

(5) European Spatial Planning Observation Network.

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entrepreneurship, knowledge and research, employment, migra-
tion, minorities and ethnic and cultural diversity, public invest-
ment and public services, attraction of (foreign)
investments,
including private
public-public and public-private partnership,
funding, and so on.

1.9
Europe needs well equipped cities and metropolitan
areas. Technological dynamics and international economic inte-
gration mean that cities are facing directly international trends
and competition. It is not surprising, and promising, that many
cities and metropolitan areas are defining new ambitions. The
best among them are poles of skills and knowledge at all levels
and poles of future-oriented investments.

Due

to demographic

1.10
ecological
requirements, and the fall out from global economic changes
the same cities are often also facing substantial challenges which
may put a heavy burden on them and sometimes create deplor-
able divisions, undermining positive prospects.

shifts, migration,

1.11
As similar trends and characteristics in cities, whatever
their cultural and socio-economic differences, are manifest
across Europe, a continuous European debate and approaches
will add to national settings and contexts. Besides analyses and
the definition of desirable approaches, especially benchmarking
and transparent best practices
integrated
approaches, making use of the Open Method of Coordination,
will bear fruit.

in the field of

1.12
As governmental policy objectives and instruments
(legal, fiscal and financial), and regional and local implementa-
tion are necessarily complementary, a high-level debate on a
variety of scenarios as well as analyses and benchmarks are
likely to open new perspectives whatever the cultural and insti-
tutional differences between Member States.

1.15 Most big cities and metropolitan areas are facing
complicated and difficult choices. An all-European engagement
and support in analyses can certainly be of help to them in
dealing with opportunities and challenges. By way of illustration
it would be recommendable to establish (annual) awards or
European labels for urban issues. There are outstanding exam-
ples in all areas: city planning, building design, migration, mino-
rities and diversity, mobility, technology and market, ecological
projects, energy saving, quality housing etc. These should be
highlighted across Europe.

Governance is a crucial and very critical issue (6). Often
1.16
it is overlooked or neglected, who is responsible and accoun-
table for what. For cities,
leadership, vision and consistency
seem to be a prerequisite anyway (7).

1.17
Complicated administrative structures across Europe
that are usually dating from long ago are as a rule not designed
to up-to-date long-term regional policies in densely populated
areas. At European level a discussion on how to make multi-
level governance more effective can be most helpful. The same
goes for new forms of public-public and public-private partner-
ship in cities which are increasingly an indispensable support.

1.18
A long-term European agenda, increased commit-
ment of the Commission, and monitoring at European level
can be helpful
in defining a consistent sense of direction at
regional level and in cities. The Lisbon agenda provides a frame-
work. Consistency is also indispensable to commit other public
and private stakeholders and urban professionals in programmes
and projects. Among these are schools and training institutes,
higher education, architects and city-planners, regional social
partners,
companies, developers,
commerce,
including private funding, health services, cultural organisations,
and others.

chambers of

1.19
An European Agenda would favour a new model of a
balanced polycentric development in Europe giving rise to new
forms of living communities, also to the benefit of society as a
whole. This process is underway, and it should, in the view of
the EESC, get full recognition and support.

1.13
The EESC emphasises the need of a commonly agreed
approach between the DGs of the Commission towards cities
and metropolitan areas. The visibility of this common approach
should also be an incentive for national governments to come
to integrated approaches towards cities, a request that is often
made by cities to governments and the EU.

2. Context

The analyses and benchmarks have to focus on a wide
1.14
range of
Interlinked
issues which are summarised in 4.12:
aspects of an agenda for cohesive urbanised areas and for the
sustainable city of the future. These aspects reflect largely a
regional expression of the Lisbon Agenda, which provides a
very appropriate framework. Much work is already being done
by public and private institutes and agencies, and by a number
of big cities themselves, but an overall transparent and consis-
tent approach is still missing.

The demographic landscape of the world is changing.
2.1
Since 2007, for the first time in history, more than half of the
world population lives in cities. The phenomenon of increasing
urbanisation occurs in all continents. The trend is tending to
intensify.

(6) See chapter 5 ‘Urbanisation and Governance’.
(7) In this respect the purposeful development of BILBAO over the last

twenty years presents an impressive and convincing example.

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2.2
At the moment more than 80 % of the population in
Europe lives in urban areas, and a large part of this percentage
lives in cities and agglomerations of more than 500 000 inhabi-
tants. In a number of cases these figures are tending to rise as
well.

2.10
Parallel to the Informal Ministerial Meetings contacts
and exchanges between national top officials are also intensified.
Sometimes research institutes are invited to deepen specific
aspects around city development (11).

Besides the Greater London and Ile-de-France and the
2.3
traditional big cities — mostly capitals — other, often ambi-
tious, centres are arising in attracting people and economic
activities.

2.11
Notwithstanding analyses and enumerations of areas of
the dynamic process of urbanisation an overall approach of the
Commission and the Council vis-à-vis urbanisation and its
future evolution in Europe remains unclear.

2.4
EU policies take this demographic shift and its corre-
sponding social and economic consequences to a certain extent
into account. Cities and urbanisation matter increasingly in a
number of DGs: Research, Environment, Energy and Transport,
Enterprise and Industry, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal
Opportunities. EU regional policy addresses urbanisation as well
as expressed in urban programmes such as URBACT, JEREMIE
and JESSICA (8), and urban projects in the framework of the EU
Social fund (9). Within the Commission an Interservice group
on Urban Affairs has been set up.

This picture reflects growing interest and focussed
2.5
activity in the Member States themselves regarding the develop-
ment of urbanisation and metropolitan areas.

2.6
In addition to an increasing number of analyses and
studies concerning cities and urbanisation in the Member States
numerous geographical maps are made by ESPON highlighting
up-to-date demographic and socio-economic trends.

2.7
The Commission started an overall approach to cities in
1997 with a Communication ‘Towards an urban agenda in the
European Union’ (10).

2.8
In a series of Informal Ministerial Meetings on Urban
Development and Territorial Cohesion, from November 2004 in
Rotterdam to Leipzig in May 2007, the Council of Ministers
responsible for spatial development and urban affairs empha-
sised the significance of city development and territorial cohe-
sion in Europe, and identified many areas of common interest.

2.9
This process resulted in May 2007 in Leipzig in the
Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities and the Terri-
torial Agenda during the Slovenian presidency a follow-up was
concretised in a project ‘Territorial — Urban Coordination’.

(8) URBACT II (2007) is part of the Commission's initiative ‘Regions for
Economic Change’ in view of the implementation of the Lisbon-Gothen-
burg Strategy. JEREMIE, or Joint European Resources for Micro to
Medium Enterprises,
the Commission, the
is a joint initiative of
European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund.
JESSICA or Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City
Areas (2006) is a joint initiative of Commission, European Investment
Bank and the Council Europe Development Bank.

(9) See also the Guide to ‘The urban dimension of Community policies
2007-2013’ of the Commission's Interservice group on Urban Devel-
opment.

(10) COM(97) 0197 final, OJ C 226, 20.7.1998, p. 36.

2.12
In February 2008 the European Parliament adopted a
report of the ‘Follow-up the Territorial Agenda and the Leipzig
Charter: Towards European Action Program for Spatial Develop-
ment and Territorial Cohesion (12)’. This report emphasises the
importance of an integrated approach to regional and town
planning, aiming to enhance the ability of regions and cities to
improve their adaptability to economic change in the interest of
the quality of life of the European citizens.

In November 2007 the Committee of

2.13
the Regions
adopted an opinion on the ‘Fourth Report on Economic and
Social Cohesion (13)’. In this opinion the Committee ‘calls for the
urban dimension to be dealt with in a separate chapter in the Fifth
Cohesion Report, given the key importance of European cities for
achieving the goals of the Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies and for
social integration, for instance migrants’.

2.14
There are substantial differences among European cities:
big ones versus smaller ones, strongly urbanised versus less
populated, different landscapes of for instance big cities and
groups of cities, wealthy and less developed cities. But
the
common denominator is also striking: there is a spontaneous
demographic shift to cities and the economic attractiveness of
big cities is increasing whereas meanwhile these same cities are
facing similar challenges.

2.15
The whole picture of opportunities and challenges
becomes all the more visible as, nowadays, successful city plan-
ning is not only limited to spatial planning and housing, but
takes also all relevant socio-economic factors explicitly into
account in a so-called holistic approach.
Increasingly future-
oriented urbanistic and planning projects are developed on the
basis of integral concepts of territorial, ecological, economic and
social aspects.

(11) Noteworthy in this respect is a project of the Dutch branch of the
European Knowledge Network on Cities, Nicis Institute, in cooperation
with the Member States concerning, governmental, legal, and fiscal
instruments to promote sustainable cities. This project is carried out in
the framework of the French presidency at request of the Délégation
Interministérielle de la Ville. The Knowledge Network on Cities is a
network organisation in which 16 Member States participate.

(12) P6_TA-PROV(2008)0069.
(13) CdR 97/2007 fin.

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2.16
Nonetheless, although governments are favouring a
progressive development of cities, approaches remain often
ambiguous. The way in which developments are realised and
managed successfully differs, sometimes strongly, from country
to country, and even from city to city. This is certainly also the
case concerning the development of city-regions or metropo-
litan areas.

2.17
The EESC defined its overall views on urbanisation
since 1998 in an Opinion ‘Towards an Urban Agenda’. This was
followed by others among which two specific opinions on ‘Euro-
pean Metropolitan Areas: socio-economic implications for Europe's
future’
in 2004 and 2007. Equally in 2007 an opinion was
published on the Territorial Agenda of the EU. Besides these, a
number of EESC opinions discuss specific areas which are of
interest for cities and urbanisation (see appendix).

This daily environment

3.7
for very many people is no
longer the individual village, town or city, but it increasingly
embraces broader regional entities which creates a new kind of
urbanisation.

3.8
Network-cities or network-regions are reinforcing sponta-
neously and/or deliberately. Look at the developments of big
cities and metropolitan areas in Europe. One notices in the
modern urbanised society, a new geographical reality coming
up, consisting of dominant zones of economic influence and a
large number of sub-zones which often as a rule do no longer
correspond with existing administrative entities.

3. Analysis and evolution

Cities and the way in which people live in communities
3.1
mirror historical periods and the corresponding evolution of
society.

3.2
Besides strategic and political reasons, economy and
security were major driving forces in shaping communities and
cities and their interconnection.

3.3 Modern history of cities in Europe starts when mature
agricultural societies and their economic and commercial expo-
sure shaped them across the continent. Later, subsequent stages
of industrialisation changed existing cities, and gave also rise to
new towns. From late 19th century onward industrialisation
made these towns and cities grow exponentially. The long
historical evolution, including cultural heritage, industrial areas,
housing etc, is quite visible in most of them.

During the last decades

3.4
industrial basins
changed fundamentally. A number of them often underwent,
and are still undergoing, painful restructuring because traditional
industrial processes are gradually dying out.

traditional

New processes are underway because of technological
3.5
dynamics and internationalisation. There is a transition from
bulk production to tailor made productions and numerous
specialties and continuous renewal on the one hand, and on the
other by a strongly extending services sector. Mobility increases
tremendously and demographic shifts take place amongst others
from rural areas to cities and through migration.

The environment for people among the western world is
3.6
becoming limitless and virtual with very wide horizons, whereas
the same developments affect also the daily physical environ-
ment of all fields of human activity.

3.9
An essential characteristic of these new city-regions is
their critical scale, needed to manage urbanisation properly to
the benefit of all citizens, their quality of life and work. The
critical scale may vary considerably from case to case, depending
on
demographic
circumstances.

geographical,

economic

specific

and

3.10
After a decade of domestic studies and discussions on
the ‘future map’ of Germany, in 2004 eleven metropolitan areas
were identified, which are qualified as dominant zones of
economic influence. Despite initial sceptical reactions further
elaboration of the concept is now underway. The relationship
and interdependence between metropolitan areas and rural areas
is a topical issue.

In the same period studies were carried out by
3.11
DIACT (14) in France, followed by an identification of a number
of metropoles. In January 2008 a policy paper was presented
‘Imaginer les métropoles d'avenir’ (15) which can be an incentive
for further promotion of these centres in France, and for appro-
priate legislation to that end. There has been a lot of activity on
city-regions in the UK as well.

3.12 More or less similarly focused initiatives are taken by
other governments and/or regional and local authorities.
In
countries such as Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, Ireland and
Austria primarily in and around the capitals, in the Netherlands
in the Randstad. In large Member States such as Spain, Italy and
Poland, more predominant centres arise.

(14) Délégation interministérielle à l'aménagement et à la compétitivité des
territoires (ancienne DATAR) (Interministerial delegation for spatial
planning and competitiveness (ex DATAR)).

(15) ‘Imaginer les métropoles d'avenir’, report of Dominique Perben, MP,
former Minister of Transport, on request of President Sarkozy and
Prime Minister Fillon. Mr Perben presents a diagnosis of urbanisation
and metropolitisation in Europe and in France, followed by ‘challenges
and actions’ for big cities and city-regions of more than 500 000 inha-
bitants in France. He presents also nineteen concrete proposals
concerning actions and legislation. This subject will also be raised
during the French presidency of the EU, second half of 2008.

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3.13
Besides principal centres, a pattern of sub-centres arises
which makes urbanisation, though certainly not equally spread
over the continent, an important characteristic of the European
landscape.

3.14
Social and economic developments give rise to a poly-
centric urbanised Europe which will no longer be restricted to a
limited geographical area like the traditional ‘blue banana’ or to
an exclusive group of capitals.

4. Challenges and opportunities

4.1
A crucial issue is: what will be and what must be the
sustainable city in future Europe as a promising community for
its citizens? In view of a European discussion on the compli-
cated urban developments one has to distinguish a number of
predominant
factors and trends which cover often different
realities within and between big cities or city-regions across
Europe.

4.2

A number of these factors and trends are the following:

— demographic changes, amongst these:

— ageing population

4.3 Meanwhile existing problems in cities are sharpening and
new challenges are arising:

— sustainability, environmental aspects, energy;

— depopulation of city centres;

— limitations on the extent of public urban spaces and chal-

lenges linked to the quality of such spaces;

— infrastructure, transport systems and accessibility;

— managing mobility;

— challenges
housing;

for

lowly qualified people: work, education,

— challenges arising from an ageing population;

— lack of sufficient entrepreneurship, in particular in depressed

areas;

— illegal migration;

— education and skills;

— cities as attracting poles of young professionals

— increased ethnic and cultural diversity resulting from

immigration;

— failed or neglected spatial planning at an earlier stage,

e.g. banlieues;

— marginalised communities and criminality;

— groups of cities and municipalities are identified as network-

cities and regions or metropolitan areas;

— risk of terrorism.

— transport and mobility: zones of economic influence are
more and more interconnected across Europe, and beyond;

— international

investments and headquarters,

implying also

business services;

— an increasing number of knowledge and research centres;

The demographic landscape of big cities and metropo-
4.4
litan areas is often challenging, but offers also opportunities.
The picture is differing from city to city:
it depends on the
composition of the population and on economic opportunities,
but also on national policies. Successful integrated policies of
host countries usually result in a high(er) degree of inclusive-
ness.

— the rise of new industrial and service sectors and an

emphasis on creativity;

— changing dynamic labour markets;

— development of gateways;

— modern housing and adjusted spatial planning;

— building-up of new alliances within urbanised areas;

— revitalisation of urban centres and reduction of urban

sprawl;

— leisure and events;

— emphasis on culture (including historical and natural heri-

tage) and cultural facilities.

The relationship between rural areas and cities is a real
4.5
challenge. Quite contrary to generally accepted popular and
political views a harmonious relationship between rural areas
and cities for living and working conditions within metropolitan
areas is crucial and opposite to the often usual perception of
either-or, or we-they. This fits perfectly well in the new model
of polycentric development.

Although the points of departure for cities can be
4.6
different due to diverging levels of development, most differ-
ences are gradual. Essentially the pattern of urbanisation in the
new Member States reflects the same phenomena, be it as yet at
a certain distance. Renovation is one of the primary goals. As
economic growth will result in higher public expenditure, and
in more private investment and higher income levels, urbanisa-
tion will progressively show the same characteristics across
Europe.

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4.7
In policy papers and project proposals regarding urbani-
sation the Commission refers nowadays systematically to the
Lisbon Agenda.
Increasingly the Council and national docu-
In the Community Strategic
ments highlight the same link.
Guidelines the Commission speaks of cities as motors of
regional development and centres of innovation, but also of the
need to improve internal cohesion by fighting social exclusion
and criminality, and to enhance quality of life in deprived neigh-
bourhoods.

4.8
The Lisbon Agenda started as a top-down process. Mean-
while Commission and Council have become convinced that
bottom-up forces have to be activated as well. Among these
bottom-up forces, cities in full development are important
actors: a decisive part of the modernisation of European terri-
torial and socio-economic structures is primarily taking place
through public and private investments, and through concrete
measures in regions and cities. Cities are usually the best geogra-
the public, private and universities sectors
phical
working with civil society to interact to create Europe's neces-
sary innovation.

level

for

of such rigidities has as a rule to be found at metropolitan level.
Integration of markets can also bring with it
that national
borders are getting obsolete (18).

4.12
Interlinked aspects of an agenda for cohesive quality
urbanised areas and the sustainable city of the future are the
following:

— creating conditions for an up-to-date economic develop-
ment, SMEs as well as international investment and head-
quarters, promoting economic clustering;

— correct implementation of EU-legislation and simplification

of regional and local regulations;

— employment policies and regional social dialogues;

— education and training at all

for all categories
including life-long learning, work-learn trajectories and
e-learning;

levels

4.9
For that reason the EESC is of the opinion that big cities
and metropolitan areas have to identify their own Lisbon
Agenda in the areas of competitiveness, sustainable development
and social cohesion and inclusion. Such an Agenda should offer
a future-oriented structure and long-term programme to policy-
makers and all other stakeholders at regional level. In doing so,
self-confidence of cities and city-regions will be fostered
increasing their expressiveness, nationally and internationally.

4.10
A long-term regional Agenda in more densely popu-
lated areas in Europe must be integral or holistic, i.e. all aspects
should be interlinked. The better the conditions for private
investment, the more opportunities for job creation and for
public services and care about vulnerable groups, such as
(lonely) elderly and lowly qualified people (16). Specific and
focused attention for sustainability and the overall quality of the
built environment will help to make such cities and regions
more attractive for the population as well as for (international)
investment. Better provisions for social cohesion will facilitate
job creation. Overall and maintained strategies will enhance
credibility towards the population (17).

— family friendly living conditions, such as affordable child

care;

— R&D,

i.e.

research facilities,

technology campuses and

science parks, innovation;

— physical infrastructure:

— participation in trans-European networks,

— mobility management (19),

— multi-modal public transport systems,

— public-private partnerships, including private funding;

— virtual infrastructure:

— telecommunications,

— ICT as basic requirement, and diffusion of broadband

and interconnectivity;

— sustainable development:

— implementation of environmental policies,

4.11
It should also kept in mind that markets often do not
function as a consequence of spatial rigidities: housing, develop-
ment policy, infrastructure, transport and mobility. The solution

(16) Conference DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
‘Harnessing an Entrepreneurial Spirit for Inclusive Local Employment Devel-
opment’, 25 April 2008.

(17) In Germany a new concept of metropolitan area is called ‘eine neue
Verantwortungsgesellschaft’, i.e. a ‘new community of responsibility’.
See Manfred Sinz, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Affairs: ‘From Metropolitan Regions to Communities of Responsibilities’.

— avoidance of negative aspects of urban sprawl, favouring

urban density,

— specific areas, such as waist management, water manage-
in construction and

ment and energy efficiency, e.g.
housing, in (public) transport, via road-pricing etc.;

(18) An example is the absorbing capacity of the financial market in
London. In another context can be mentioned examples of regions like
Lille-Courtrai, Copenhague-Malmö and Vienna-Bratislava.
(19) See also ‘A New Urban Mobility Culture’, COM(2007) 551 final.

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— social cohesion (20):

— sustainable city planning and architecture,

— social housing for vulnerable groups,

— equal

services of public interest

(health, education,

security) across the region,

— networks of public transport

throughout

the region

including linkages to depressed neighbourhoods,

— focussed attention for ethnic and cultural diversity and

intercultural dialogue,

— dismantling barriers which make the lives of city
dwellers more difficult, particularly older people and
people with disabilities,

— public actions to diminish high rates of unemployment
among young people in deprived neighbourhoods:
education, new economic activities, promotion of entre-
preneurship, events,

— culture, cultural facilities, events,

— sports and leisure,

— tourism,

— promotion of a commonly felt regional identity.

4.13
For the modern city and city-region state-of-the-art
‘Baukultur’ (21) is decisive, i.e. the overall architectural concept
that is based on a holistic approach in which architects, plan-
ners, designers, the construction industry, developers and end
users work together to create and maintain a quality built envir-
onment to provide solutions for sustainable cities (22).

— commonly agreed definitions concerning big cities and city

regions are desirable (23);

— the division of labour between national governments and
the big cities and metropolitan areas and what is expected
from these varies considerably;

— there are often confusion and misunderstandings in coun-
tries where more than one ministry is responsible for
aspects of urban affairs;

— what should be the role of the Commission?

— existing regional and local administrative barriers concerning
‘governance’ at regional or local level is often a barrier to
necessary actions;

— complicated problems are often caused by unsatisfactory

multi-level government;

— there are considerable differences in the way cities communi-
cate with the population and valuable actors, in the organi-
sation of ‘participative democracy’;

— the role of specialised non-governmental organisations, e.g.
regarding ‘housing’, education, minorities, business, and
others is often vaguely defined and so does the extent to
which cities and city-regions take profit from these;

— there is a not always consistent approach to public-public
and public-private partnership in view of city programmes,
decisive investments and creative solutions;

5. Urbanisation and Governance

— there is a need of

long-term approaches concerning the

sustainable city for the future;

5.1
Europe needs resilient and sustainable cities, and city-
regions or metropolitan areas that are able to present them-
selves internationally.

5.2
This places ‘governance’ at the top of the agenda. There
is a broad agreement on the analysis of opportunities and chal-
lenges, there are increasingly exchanges of view among cities,
but apart from the difference of conditions between cities it
remains unclear who is responsible for what in concrete situa-
tions:

— transparency and legitimacy are indispensable tools for long-

term strategies.

Practical evidence shows

5.3
leadership, vision and
consistency are as a rule a condition for a successful manage-
ment of change and continuing progress of cities.

that

(20) This subject is deepened in a French report ‘Une Nouvelle Politique pour
les Banlieues’, Palais de l'Elysée, 8 February 2008. The report makes a
number of proposals to fight the danger of ghettos in cities. In particu-
lar, the report presents state and regional/local initiatives concerning
education, training, and job and company creation in deprived neigh-
bourhoods. The French presidency is planning several EU-conferences
on this issue.

(21) ‘Baukultur as an impulse for growth. Good examples for European Cities’ —
study of German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Affairs, published in April 2007.

(22) Conference of the Architects' Council of Europe:

‘Designing for the

Future: Architecture and Quality of Life’, Brussels, 10 April 2008.

5.4
As big cities and metropolitan areas are poles of attrac-
tion and the daily environment for so many people, and as their
potential socio-economic significance for Europe is unquestion-
able, the EESC considers a profound discussion of their impact
in its entirety necessary, not only nationally, but also at
EU-level.

(23) See as a useful example also the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in
the United States, formerly the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area
since 1959.

C 77/130

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.3.2009

5.11
This is not to say that all cases are similar, on the
contrary. Apart from demographic and socio-economic differ-
ences across Europe, there is a wide range of different adminis-
trative and cultural traditions between countries and regions.
Concrete situations,
lifestyles and views on organisation vary
considerably. In some cases a single leading idea or vision for
towards the future has been decisive. More generally, the Lisbon
Agenda may be helpful to identify a common ground for discus-
sion and approach.

5.12
Often the central government does not create sufficient
room of manoeuvre for cities to determine their own destiny.
Policies are primarily top-down, and so are bureaucratic proce-
dures. By contrast, promotion of self-determination could create
the right conditions to implement adequately desirable strategies
and policies. By a redefinition of the position of big cities and
city-regions or metropolitan areas these could become real
‘communities of responsibility’.

5.13
Self-determination and mutual respect between cities
and their surroundings will boost responsibility and account-
ability of local and regional authorities, and will contribute to a
desirable pro-active attitude of civil society and the private
sector.

5.14
To be effective, in many cases it will be necessary to
redesign existing local and regional administrative entities
(municipalities and others) and their competences.

5.15
The population of Europe's cities may turn still more
diversified both in terms of jobs and income, and culturally.
ingredients are in place to create an enriched
Potentially all
urbanisation, but if processes are not managed properly potenti-
alities are not developed and the cohesion of society may be
jeopardised.

Targeted discussions, agenda-setting, and effective moni-
5.16
toring at European level can be most helpful to define a consis-
tent sense of direction at regional level. Such consistency is not
only needed for public actors, but it will be indispensable to
commit other public and private stakeholders and urban
professionals.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

As

the Treaty until

5.5
recently had no provisions
concerning spatial development, and due to subsidiarity, the
role of the Commission and the Council remained ambiguous.
the Commission
Via direct consultation with cities, DGs of
meanwhile carry out increasingly a wide variety of projects in
urbanised areas. Issues are R&D, environment, employment and
transport (24).

Cities tend to become also more pro-active towards
5.6
Brussels, because EU-legislation affects them directly. Themes
are environmental regulation, public procurement, youth unem-
ployment, public order and security, migration, deprived areas.

The same goes for the Lisbon Agenda at large. European
5.7
criteria for the various topics are increasingly being assessed for
regional application: which are the effects of the implementation
of proposals and/or adopted regulation at urban and metropo-
litan level. Examples prove that without taking into account of
specific urban circumstances implementation can turn out to be
more costly than the benefit of contributions to projects by the
Structural Funds.

5.8
Against this background the EESC welcomes the initiative
of the Commission to present shortly a Green Paper on Terri-
torial Cohesion. A discussion on the Green Paper will also be an
opportunity to deepen the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable
European Cities.

The above-mentioned agenda in 4.12 is a heavy one.
5.9
Situations are usually very complicated. Up till now a consistent
strategic view on big cities and city-regions was developed only
in a limited number of cases. In many cases a clear sense of
direction is rather lacking which is partly due to ambiguous
positions of governments and differing views within national
administrations and at metropolitan level itself.

is

On the other hand, a long-term vision and consistency
5.10
at metropolitan level
the building of
indispensable for
commitment of existing and, eventually, new communities, for
private stakeholders, and for the creation of beneficial alliances
within organised civil society. At the moment this looks all the
more difficult because the concept of metropolitan areas is a
rather recent phenomenon, which makes a fruitful debate in
Europe only more desirable (25).

Brussels, 17 September 2008.

(24) An illustrative example is the report of DG Regional Policy on a wide

range of projects ‘Regions and Innovation’, March 2007.

(25) Social and Economic Councils at national or regional level can also
play a positive role. An illustrative example is a Report on the
future of the Randstad in the Netherlands presented by the Social
and Economic Council in April 2008,
http://www.ser.nl/~/media/Files/Internet/Talen/Engels/2007/
2007_04.ashx.