Understanding integrated urban development
Integrated urban development is core to URBACT II, whose main vocation is to promote a new approach to urban policy. This approach is called “integrated” and considers both the environmental and social impact of urban development.
The concept of an “integrated approach” to urban issues developed at the beginning of the 1990s with urban renewal projects for disadvantaged areas. As certain urban areas--particularly large social housing projects—deteriorated, it became necessary to develop territorial initiatives that combined not only physical investments in buildings and infrastructure, but also measures to promote economic development and social inclusion. The idea was to break away from a compartmentalized approach to territories, issues and policies, in order to promote a “holistic” approach that takes into consideration the physical, economic and social dimensions of urban development.
With the launch of the Urban Pilot Projects and the Community Initiative Programme URBAN in the 1990s, the European Commission gave institutional recognition to the integrated approach to urban renewal as being effective.
As these programmes advanced, the concept itself progressed and its use spread to general urban projects (rather than only the renewal of disadvantaged neighbourhoods) and to all urban issues (transport, planning, economic development, etc.). It also became necessary to add vertical integration among the various levels of government and bodies involved in territorial governance (local, regional, national, private sector, civil society, etc.) to horizontal integration, among the various sectors of public action.
More recently, the idea of sustainability has become an unavoidable requirement due to the impact of urban development on the environment and quality of life.
The idea of the ‘three pillars’ of sustainable development—economic, social and environmental—which today are recognized as an outcome of URBAN, was taken up again for the 2007-2013 programming period, in the definition of Operational Programmes found in the Cohesion Policy (+ link glossary) and constituting a basis for the Leipzig Charter. 
This can be seen in the experience of the cities involved in the URBAN I and II programmes, along with the knowledge gained by cities sharing experience as part of the URBACT programme. Only an integrated and sustainable approach to urban development can enable cities to respond to the challenges represented by globalisation, demographic changes and climate change, all issues that are today aggravated by the current economic crisis.
It is with this in mind that URBACT partners share their experiences and work together to develop pragmatic solutions, tools and recommendations to help all European cities and to promote integrated and sustainable development.
To date, 8 thematic areas have been identified under 3 Thematic Poles, which assemble URBACT projects that are working on similar or complementary projects.
Jean-Loup DRUBIGNY