Our Outputs

Joining forces was a working group developed under the Urbact programme that was active from April 2008 to May 2010.

Joining forces is a Working Group, which was developed within the URBACT European exchange and learning programme between 2008 and 2010; it brought together 8 partner cities: from 8 member states, Brno (CZ), Brussels Capital Region (B), Burgas (BG), Eindhoven (NL), Florence(I), Krakow (PL), Lille Metropole (F) and Seville (E). Lille Métropole, represented by its Agence de développement et d’urbanisme, was the Lead partner and Tamas Horvath was the Lead expert.

Joining forces has explored how strategy-making and governance arrangements at the city-region level can help to effectively address the main chal­lenges faced by urban Europe: competitiveness, cohesion and sustainability. All over Europe, metro­politan areas or city-regions are increasingly recognised, even by local authorities, as the “real city” level, the right one for designing and implementing more effective development strategies and governance mechanisms. Achieving successful coop­eration between cities and their surrounding areas is obviously crucial to improve local cohesion, but even more to increase territorial competitiveness and sustainability.

The project has described and analysed partners’ concrete situations in order to propose conclusions and suitable recommendations to the local / regional / national / European authorities on why and how to develop metropolitan governance mechanisms.

In order to effectively exchange experiences and thus be able to draw relevant conclusions, the working group had to work on the basis of practical examples (case studies) and therefore to consider the single theme of metropolitan governance through different aspects.

The most important and shared aspects for the 8 different partners were:

- Strategic and Spatial Planning

- Mobility management and Transport

- Main environmental issues: air and noise pollution, waste disposal, water supply, etc.

- Knowledge economy (Creativity, Research & Education)

- Private sector involvement in metropolitan Governance (public/private arrangements)

- Social inclusion, participation and empowerment

- Attractiveness & competitiveness(including Promotion / Marketing)

Joining forces has produced different surveys and reports:

- a baseline study, (in two volumes) analysing the metropolitan governance issue from a European perspective and describing each partner city’s specific context,

- working reports from the seven thematic seminars held in the different partner cities,

- a compendium of information on local support groups and local action plans, which describes the impact the common activity has had on each partner city’s local development,

- and the present synthesis of conclusions and recommendations, summarizing the main outcomes of the Working group activity.

Un extrait du rapport final du groupe de travail JOINING FORCES est maintenant disponible en français : partie 1 des conclusions générales et recommandations.

The present compendium of information on local support groups and local action plans describes the impact the common activity has had on each partner city’s local development.
Joining forces’ partner cities have set up relevant local support groups and started develop effective local action plans; they are detailed here after in this compendium. It is however worth stressing the fact that partner cities have to face very specific and quite different situations, both locally and nationally. These differences are reflected in the diversity of the experiences that apply as effectively as possible to a specific context. Some local support groups were already existing at the start of the working group, when others were created at a late phase of the project and thanks to it. Some action plans are the reflection of months of previous work, when others are only a first step in a cooperation process. Any attempt to compare these achievements would probably therefore lack relevance.

    
As the LAPs are developed within the framework of LSG in response to local issues - they are in each Joining Forces partners' languages. The compendium of information on local support groups and local action plans provide information - in English - on LSG' activities and LAP' contents.

    
BRNO
LSG: Urbact creation / the group will carry on its activities after Urbact Joining Forces
Theme of Local Action Plan: “The cooperation in elaborating strategic documents and developing the common projects ” through six key areas: suburbanization / transport and mobility / labour market and knowledge economy / environment and technical infrastructure / tourism and recreation / social sphere - with strategic planning as common theme for all these areas. The aim is to improve cooperation between the municipalities of the metropolitan area.
LAP: Available

    
BRUSSELS-CAPITAL REGION
LSG: Urbact creation / the group should carry on its activities after Urbact Joining Forces
Theme of Local Action Plan: “To improve attractiveness of the Brussels-Capital Region and of its metropolitan area”. Cooperation between Regions should be foster through concrete projects developed at metropolitan level. Following the members of the Local Support Group, the first fields of cooperation should concern mobility and culture / tourism.
LAP: Available On going process

   
BURGAS
LSG: Urbact creation / the group will carry on its activities after Urbact Joining Forces
Theme of Local Action Plan: “Social Inclusion” - The LAP outlines the specific measures needed to be undertaken in the process of transition from institutional care to alternative services provision in the community as well as developing of social services for people at risk of social exclusion.
LAP: Available

      
EINDHOVEN
LSG: Urbact creation / the group will carry on its activities after Urbact Joining Forces
Theme of Local Action Plan: “A spatial vision on the region and a strategy - how we can realise this vision.” What spatial measures can be taken to strengthen southeast Brabant as international high-tech knowledge and innovation region?
LAP: Available (Dutch / English + map)

   
FLORENCE
LSG: Existing group
Theme of Local Action Plan: “The creation of an integrated and participative approach to sustainable metropolitan mobility”. Florence aimed at establishing a stakeholder’s consensus on an Integrate Mobility Plan for the Florentine Metropolitan Area.
LAP: Available

    
KRAKOW
LSG: Urbact creation
Theme of Local Action Plan: “Detailed recommendations on integrated strategic plan” that is likely to be used when updating planning documents (a regional strategy and regional spatial development plan for Malopolskie Region).
LAP: Available

     
LILLE METROPOLE
LSG: Existing group
Theme of Local Action Plan: “Draft of the medium term strategic programme for the association “Aire métropolitaine de Lille”. It is a new step in the cooperation process, following the creation in 2007 of a French association, which manages the cooperation and works to strengthen the partnership.
LAP: Awaiting the approval of the Association

    
SEVILLE
LSG: Existing group
Theme of Local Action Plan: “The Seville 2020 Strategic Plan” aims at identifying projects contributing to Seville’s economic competitiveness and quality of life in the next decade. It is a social process of public participation, institutional collaboration, public and private cooperation.
LAP: Available
      

Document 3 – 232 proposals for Seville 2020
Currently, the process of elaboration of Seville’s Local Action Plan (the Sevilla 2020 Strategic Plan) is at an advanced stage. After several months of debates about Document 2 with stakeholders, the civil society and the population, Document 3 was introduced to the public during a presentation last July 2.
Document 3 is a synthesis of the proposals made during the debates, with the following structure:
1/ 7 axes which define the model of the city for 2020:
- The capital of Andalusia, as a metropolitan city, the directional centre of the European South-Western macro-region and the connection point between continents;
- A model of citizenship and values;
- A creative city with the culture as a central development factor;
- A city of education and social cohesion that eradicates social exclusion;
- A leadership in the new production system of the European South-Western region, based on advanced industries and sustainability as a factor of economic development;
- A metropolitan city structured by a network of open spaces and sustainable mobility;
- A structured metropolitan city with a renewed and enlarged centre and lively neighbourhoods.
2/ 38 strategic objectives, which should be regarded as thematic fields of intervention;
3/ 232 proposals, which include aspirations, objectives and projects.
The public presentation of this set of measures opened a process of selection of priorities, opened to all stakeholders in a first step and with final selection to be made by the Executive Commission of the Seville 2020 Strategic Plan.

The Fact Sheet summarizing the project is now available.

Cities have been leading role in national economic development for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, the urban sprawl accelerated very much after the 2nd  World War, especially during the last 30 years in the wider Europe. In the circumstances of globalization growing multinational companies, international trade, banking etc. focus on urban areas. In this context city means city-region in fact, because either challenges or conflicts derive from symbiosis of its wider area. Growing of development or, on the other hand, crises of traditional productive profile, both depend very much on position reached by actors in the worldwide competition. City-region is a physical site of most of the economic and social successes and failures in the contemporary life of communities. 

Joining Forces as European international working group in the framework of URBACT II intends to focus its efforts on highlighting good practices of competitiveness and economic modernization in a sustainable environment. Furthermore, additional sources are scrutinized mainly from the side of governance at every level and organized form of communities. This motivation seems to be adjusted to initiatives of the European Union to enhance competitiveness and cohesion in the European Space.

The Baseline Study of the working group consists of two volumes. Volume 1 summarizes research and European projects completed in this issue so far. Additionally, national contexts of partners involved are also collected. Then common challenges are synthesized in order to find typical answers and create a framework for further activities of the working group in the implementation phase of the project.

Volume 2 introduces all partners’ cities and surrounding areas concerning their status, economic, environmental and social circumstances. Description has been given in a common format in order for the reader to compare relevant information from all group members in a relatively easy way. Comparison is also promoted by ULB-IGEAT, whose document is attached, on delimitation of the urban structures of participating cities, based on former projects of ESPON supplemented with more recent data, where it was necessary.

Volume 1 summarizes research and European projects completed in this issue so far. Additionally, national contexts of partners involved are also collected. Then common challenges are synthesized in order to find typical answers and create a framework for further activities of the working group in the implementation phase of the project.

Volume 2 introduces all partners’ cities and surrounding areas concerning their status, economic, environmental and social circumstances. Description has been given in a common format in order for the reader to compare relevant information from all group members in a relatively easy way.

Comparison is also promoted by ULB-IGEAT, whose document is attached, on delimitation of the urban structures of participating cities, based on former projects of ESPON supplemented with more recent data, where it was necessary.

Baseline Study - Volume 1 - Contexte et synthèse des objectifs du projet

JOINING FORCES - Gouvernance métropolitaine & compétitivité des villes européennes.

Joining forces est un groupe de travail Urbact qui réunit 8 partenaires : Bourgas (Bulgarie), Brno (République Tchèque), Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (Belgique), Eindhoven (Pays-Bas), Florence (Italie), Cracovie (Pologne), Lille Métropole (France) et Séville (Espagne).L'objectif de Joining forces est d’explorer dans quelle mesure des accords en matière de développement stratégique et de gouvernance à l’échelle des régions urbaines peuvent aider à aborder efficacement les principaux défis auxquels fait face l’Europe urbaine : compétitivité, cohésion et durabilité.

Baseline Studie - deel 1 - Context en synthese van de doelstellingen van het project

  
Joining forces - Metropolitan governance & competitiveness of European cities.

Joining forces is een Werkgroep van het Urbact-programma die 8 partners bijeenbrengt :  Bourgas, Brno, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Eindhoven, Firenze, Krakau, Lille Metropole en Sevilla. Het doel van Joining forces is te onderzoeken hoe overeenkomsten met betrekking tot strategische ontwikkeling en governance op het niveau van de stadsgewesten het stedelijke Europa kunnen helpen om het hoofd te bieden aan de belangrijkste uitdagingen waarmee het wordt geconfronteerd: concurrentievermogen, cohesie en duurzame ontwikkeling.

Estudio Inicial - Volumen 1 - Contexto y resumen de los objetivos del proyecto

JOINING FORCES - Gobernanza metropolitana y competitividad de las ciudades europeas.

Joining forces es un grupo de trabajo de Urbact que cuenta con 8 miembros: Burgas, Breno, Bruselas región capitalina, Eindhoven, Florencia, Cracovia, Lille metropolitana y Sevilla. Joining forces pretende explorar cómo el diseño de estrategias y los ajustes de la gobernanza a escala de la ciudad-región pueden ayudar a la Europa urbana a afrontar de manera eficaz sus principales retos: competitividad, cohesión y sostenibilidad.

Studio di Partenza - Volume 1 - Contesto e sintesi degli obiettivi del progetto

      
JOINING FORCES - Governance metropolitana e competitività delle città europee.

Joining forces è un gruppo di lavoro inserito nel progetto Urbact, che riunisce 8 partner: Bourgas, Brno, Bruxelles regione capitale, Eindhoven, Firenze, Cracovia, Lille Metropole e Siviglia. Il progetto “Joining forces” (L’unione delle forze) è mirato alla ricerca di strumenti strategici e metodologie di governance a livello di città regione che possano aiutare efficacemente ad affrontare le principali sfide sostenute dall’Europa “urbana”. la competitività, la coesione e la sostenibilità.

Studium Podstawowe - Tom 1 - Kontekst I Synteza Celów Projektu

"Wspólnymi siłami" – zarządzanie obszarami metropolitalnymi i konkurencyjność miast europejskich

Projekt "Joining Forces" opiera się na pracy Grupy Roboczej Urbact skupiającej 8 partnerów: Burgas, Brno, Bruksela-Region Stołeczny, Eindhoven, Florencja, Kraków, Metropolia Lille i Sevilla. Projekt "Joining Forces" ma na celu zbadanie, w jaki sposób systemy budowania strategii i systemu zarządzania w skali miasta-regionu mogą pomóc w rozwiązywaniu głównych wyzwań, przed jakimi stają aglomeracje europejskie: problemów konkurencyjności, spójności i zrównoważenia.

ZÁklADní StUDie - PrACoVní SkUPinY ProjektU ‘ SPojení Sil’ - ČÁST 1 - KONTEXT A SYNTÉZA CÍLŮ PROJEKTU

   
Spojení sil - Řízení metropolí & konkurenceschopnost evropských měst

Projekt Spojení sil představuje pracovní skupinu programu Urbact, která spojila osm partnerů: Burgas, Brno, region hlavního města Bruselu, Eindhoven, Florencii, Krakov, metropoli Lille a Sevilu. Cílem projektu Spojení sil je zjistit, jakým způsobem může strategie a řízení na úrovni městského regionu pomoci řešit hlavní problémy, kterým čelí evropská města: konkurensceschopnost, koheze a udržitelnost. 

осноВно ПРоУЧВане - ЧасТ 1 - КонТеКсТ и РеЗЮме на ЦелиТе наПРоеКТа

Да обединим сили - метрополисно управление и конкурентоспособност на европейските градове

„Да обединим сили” е работна група по програмата за развитие на градовете URBACT, която обединява 8 партньора: Бургас, Бърно, столичен район Брюксел, Айндховен, Флоренция, Краков, Лил и Севиля. Целта на обединяването на силите е да се проучи как формулирането на стратегии и устройството на управлението на ниво градове-региони биха спомогнали за справяне с главните предизвикателства, пред които е изправена днешната урбанизирана Европа: конкурентоспособност, кохезия и устойчивост.