Networks and cities' news

Catch up on the latest updates from cities working together in URBACT Networks. The articles and news that are showcased below are published directly by URBACT’s beneficiaries and do not necessarily reflect the programme’s position.

Want to learn more about the projects that are featured here? Discover the URBACT Networks.

 

 

  •

    Citizen participation? Hell no!

    Citizen participation? Hell no! is a card game composed of 42 cards which are 42 reasons, arguments, pretexts, etc. for NOT doing any citizen participation! We all know, indeed, that not everyone – especially within public authorities and both from the elected officials side or the civil servants one – is keen on developing citizen participation. Not everyone is convinced of its added value, not only for democracy but also for better policies and services. Opening governance to a form of co-creation and co-decision process with citizens is quite uncomfortable for most people who hold a certain level of power (again both from the elected officials and civil servants side). What are the arguments of those who are against or at least ‘not convinced’ by citizen participation? What are you often told? What are the critiques of citizen participation that you hear?

    Christophe Gouache

    See more

  • Place du Panthéon: Building gender into public space

    What does redesigning public space from a gendered perspective look like? In this newest GenderedLandscape video case study where Chris Blache, co-founder of Genre et Ville, tells us about their work with Place du Panthéon.

    annika.dalen@umea.se

    See more

  • “The Sea Starts Here” – Urban Art raising awareness for Environmental Preservation

    The artistic interpretation of an aquarium is the subject of an urban art display in the centre of Agueda, in support of the campaign “O Mar começa aqui” (“The sea starts here”). The aim of the instillation is to increase the community awareness and importnace of environment preservation. The piece of art was inaugurated on the November 19th, to mark World Sanitation Day.

    Laura McIntosh

    See more

  • The “Green Line” project for a “green” Bistrița city

    Over the last 10 years, congestion in the city of Bistrița has continued to worsen with an increase in the number of cars on the roads and an intensification of road traffic. This has led to the rise in air pollution caused by transport and an overcrowding of parking areas. Nevertheless, urban public transport still has an important role in the development of cities, facilitating the population's access to jobs and services

    Laura McIntosh

    See more

  • Carry out a pilot renovation diagnosis to help owners initiate their refurbishment project

    Following the good practice of Chemnitz, the city of Seraing will soon open a housing agency to support owners in their renovation project. Bénédicte Borckmans reports on a pilot study whose results will be very helpful for the work of the future agency. 

    sabine.hausmann

    See more

  • Transfer Story: Zagreb "Block Badel" challenge

    “Indeed, the move to connect public subsidy and private compliance must be understood in the context of the post-war history of urban redevelopment initiatives, most of which have been considered failures. A thorough history of these programs is beyond this chapter, but the litany of criticisms is familiar: Urban redevelopment has relied too heavily on private-side investment; it has emphasized displacement and gentrification over reinvestment; it has lacked citizen participation or neighbourhood input; and it has been riddled with patronage, incompetence, and distribution to favoured groups. Mostly, however, urban redevelopment policy has been unsuccessful.” ― Richard Schragger

    n.rydlewska

    See more