Date of label : 29/10/2024
Group activities per project.
Summary
Agreeing on a widely accepted vision for Lublin (PL) in 2030 was a complex process, involving a large team and requiring the use of carefully selected working methods and tools. The project was divided into stages, the results of which were developed through the collective efforts of many people and communities. The innovative project was based on the Human Smart City 3.0 concept, with the participation of residents central to its development. Making inhabitants active participants in the planning of the city’s, made it possible to assign to them the role of co-authors of the Lublin 2030 Strategy.
The solutions offered by the Good Practice
In 2018, a month-long consultation started, which involved nearly 100 experts and thousands of residents and users of the city, to shape Lublin’s vision for 2030. Responses from 12 000 people, and the outcomes of 77 meetings, discussions, games and workshops resulted in a catalogue of opinions and perceptions. These were further worked on by 120 representatives of residents and professional circles, selected in an open call during nearly 40 thematic workshops.
The recommendations verified by the city's community became the basis for the Lublin 2030 Strategy, which sets the direction of Lublin's development.
This globally unique process, made it possible for the first time to use multiple participatory techniques to involve citizens, NGOs, entrepreneurs and academics in building the city's vision and direction of development.
A Strategic Management Academy was set up to promote participatory management as an effective method of building relationships, making decisions and achieving results. While every city has its own challenges and potentials, involving residents in shaping their surroundings is a common need.
Building on the sustainable and integrated urban approach
The practice’s integrated approach to tackling urban challenges involves multiple stakeholders in the strategic planning process, including residents, businesses, non-profits, academic institutions, and government entities.
Regular workshops, public consultations, and interactive sessions provide community input and feedback, to ensure diverse perspectives and needs are considered when identifying and prioritising urban challenges and solutions.
The strategy addresses key areas of urban development, including transportation, housing, environmental sustainability, economic growth, energy, waste management, public health, and social inclusion. By integrating these, the plan aims to create a balanced and resilient urban environment, in which collaboration across sectors is emphasised. This ensures that initiatives in one sector can enhance efforts in other sectors.
Measures to boost the city’s resilience to economic fluctuations, climate change and other disruptions, include developing adaptive infrastructure and fostering a robust local economy.
Based on participatory approach
Participation was central to the project’s development, with over 12 000 opinions gathered from Lublin’s residents and others associated with the city. These insights formed the basis of the Lublin 2030 Strategy document and led to seven publicly available research reports, which provide a rich source of knowledge about the needs of Lublin’s population.
The participatory process used a wide range of tools and methods, including workshops, online surveys, focus groups, interactive digital interventions, open meetings, mobile points, and thematic discussions. This enabled the team to reach diverse social groups, such as emigrants and returnees from migration, local entrepreneurs, large companies, all age groups, people with disabilities, people at risk of exclusion for socio-economic reasons, students, and immigrants living in Lublin.
The process culminated in Thematic Working Groups, in which 12 groups of 120 people, selected to represent the diversity of the city, analysed the gathered data and provided recommendations on the strategic directions.
What difference has it made?
Thousands of conversations with residents from all social and age groups generated a substantial collection of opinions and ideas for Lublin’s development, which were summarised in a series of reports. These insights shaped the Lublin 2030 Strategy, the city’s key policy document for planning until 2030. Lublin was one of the first cities to involve citizens in the process of creating a city development strategy on such a scale. This innovative approach leads to more inclusive, transparent, and resilient urban planning.
This practice empowers communities, fosters trust, and harnesses local knowledge to create cities that better meet residents’ needs. Despite difficulties caused by the pandemic, the range of innovative methods used allowed the gathering of thousands of opinions and ideas.
The greatest value is the strengthening of the role of residents in the city management process, and the opportunity to share the gained experience with other cities through the Strategic Management Academy. The basis of the Academy is a guide for local authorities entitled “How to create a strategy together with residents?”.
Why this Good Practice should be transferred to other cities
The project emphasises citizen involvement in urban planning, demonstrating that inclusive urban policies better reflect the needs and aspirations of local communities. Its focus on 2030 aligns with various long-term planning frameworks:
- The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The Urban Agenda for the EU.
- The EU Territorial Agenda 2030.
As European cities face similar challenges, such as climate change, urbanisation, and social inclusion, Lublin’s practice provides a model for other cities to follow when working towards future goals. It offers a model for enhancing citizen participation, and integrating urban strategies, towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.
The municipal development strategy, a key local government document, identified needs and opportunities, and sets guidelines for spatial planning. Currently optional, from 1 January 2026 it will be mandatory for municipalities in Poland to produce such strategies.
Successful replication depends on:
- Openness and collaboration with different communities.
- Identifying existing potentials.
It is important to bear in mind that every community is different, and therefore it is necessary to choose from among the methods used by Lublin the ones best suited to the needs of a particular city.
Through the Strategic Management Academy, Lublin has participated in a number of national and international events where they have shared their experience, to encourage the use of residents' potential. The awards that the practice has received indicate that the values it communicates are recognised and appreciated.