Networks and cities' news

Palermo bets on social media governance

Palermo bets on social media governance to restore a climate of trust between citizens and institutions in the field of urban mobility. Within the process of reduction of the Local Action Plan Palermo’s URBACT Local group is working to the integration of its communication tools and to the strengthening of good practices of social media governance in order to restore a feeling of trust between citizens and the public administration in the field of urban mobility.

VIDEO FOR THE TRANSNATIONAL MEETING HELD IN ARMAGH CITY

THIS IS THE VIDEO PRODUCED AFTER THE TRANSNATIONAL MEETING OF THE NETWORK WHICH WAS HOLD BY THE ARMAGH CITY PARTNER. 

In Glasgow, food became a symbol of urban resilience

In Glasgow, the neighbourhoods around the Possilpark area are some of the city’s most deprived. The stresses experienced by these communities are disproportionate when compared to the rest of the city, and are consequences of decades of de-industrialisation that have resulted in poor health, low life expectancy, high levels of unemployment, and vast areas of contaminated derelict land.

How to create Urban Inclusion (and not exclusion, segregation or integration)?

January 2018, by Øystein Leonardsen, Tabitha Burke and Aleksandra Galazka

TEchTown, interview with Tracey Johnson lead Partner

Before I answer these questions, let's back track a bit as the local context is important. Barnsley is a medium sized city - at least by UK standards in the north of England. Historically it was a mining community so with the closure of mines in the 1970s and 19430s, it suffered massive industrial decline coupled with high Levels of unemployment and deprivation.

So, the city has had to completely re-imagine its future and think creatively about its assets so as to grow new jobs. I think this scenario will resonate with people from other medium sized cities. One initiative, which has been particularly successful, is the 'Enterprising Barnsley' business support programme (part funded through ERDF) which has helped local companies to create over 1400 jobs since 2010. Let's not forget that this is in a period when the rest of the UK economy was at best stagnant. Barnsley grew the biggest number of jobs in the whole country - 9.4% growth - we're pretty proud of that.

Smart specialisation: why is it the time for cities to act now? Experiences from Bilbao and Basque country

The Basque Country is celebrating now the 25^th anniversary of the Basque cluster policy. According to Michael Porter, it was the first region in the world in applying massively the cluster concept to its industrial policy. Interestingly, this year is also the 25^th anniversary of Porter´s Competitive Advantage of Nations, one of the most influential essays on the linkage between places and competitiveness.