Training for Elected Representatives
The URBACT Programme, with the active support of the European Commission, launched a pilot project for training elected representatives in integrated sustainable urban development.
This pilot training project is opened to Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors of the 200 cities which are partners in the URBACT 3rd Call for Proposals projects. URBACT received about 70 applications and 30 elected representatives coming from all over Europe have been selected.
A training on integrated and sustainable urban development
The aim of the scheme is to give representatives a better understanding of European urban policy, an insight into what integrated and sustainable development involves, and the practical tools needed for project management. Not only will this help to inform their decision-making, it should also improve the quality of URBACT Local Action Plans and help to develop Local Support Groups.
"I hope this programme will help me to be a better politician in my city," Beata Stepaniuk, Councillor in Lublin, Poland, EUniversities URBACT project.
"We need new policies and projects for our city and I've come here for ideas" Francoise Rivoire, Deputy Mayor of Lyon, Sustainable Food For Urban Communities URBACT Project.
Three training sessions taking place in Brussels over the course of 2013
- Seminar 1 (8-10 April 2013): Integration. How to break silos and develop integrated and place-based solutions that cross the boundaries of government bodies, disciplines, or municipal borders?
- Seminar 2 (16-18 September 2013): Participative approach and stakeholder involvement. How to involve the relevant actors in policy making, with a focus on involving "policy receivers"?
- Seminar 3 (2-4 December 2013): Sustainability and change. How can cities tackle the challenges of climate change and assess their progress? And how to intervene in complex energy transitions while improving a city's quality of life?
What went on during the first training Seminar in April 2013?
Attended by 30 mayors, deputies and councillors from 15 countries, April's seminar focused on how to develop an integrated approach to urban development.
Day One, which included some ice-breaking time for people to introduce themselves, was devoted to the basic concepts. A series of talks by experts, presentations of participants' Local Action Plans, and peer reviews/discussions came together as a series of common threads. And the crossovers were clear from the outset.
Day Two of the seminar was almost entirely devoted to problem identification and analysis.
Learning from leading European experts was undoubtedly a vital part of the seminar, as was the field visit on Day Three to look at development projects in Brussels.
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