Networks and cities' news

What are Integrated Territorial Investments?

An Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) is an instrument which provides for integrated delivery arrangements for investments under more than one priority axes of one or more operational programmes. Funding from several priority axes and programmes can be bundled into an integrated investment strategy for a certain territory or functional area. This can take the form of an integrated strategy for urban development, but also for inter-municipal cooperation in specific territories. It allows the managing authorities to delegate the implementation of parts of different priority axes to one body (a local authority) to ensure that investments are undertaken in a complementary manner. Within an ITI some components can be undertaken through community led development combining the two approaches.

From non integrated to integrated urban development: an illustrated story

There are many ways to explain what integrated urban development is, or should be. One of the ways is to show examples on the opposite, i.e. on non-integrated solutions for urban development. Here we bring up three examples in the areas of poverty, ageing and economic development and reflect further on what integrated urban development is and how to put it into practice. 

Combining horizontal and vertical integration

There are many different interpretations and meanings attached to the integrated approach. These include balancing environmental quality, social cohesion and economic compeitiveness, bringing together all relevant departments to address a challenge, complementing ‘hard’ investments with ‘soft’ investments, and combining European Social Fund with European Regional Development Fund. URBACT II has pioneered integrated approaches to policy challenges as diverse as Roma inclusion and the regeneration of historic city centres. Maybe it is better to acknowledge that there are many integrated approaches, each adapted to specific policy aims. To compound the confusion, the word integration is often used in policy debates alongside holistic approaches and joined-up government to describe a process in which people with different professional backgrounds from different parts of government at all levels are engaged together in a common task. Not to mention the specific use of the term integration in relation to migrants.

The growing role of food in fixing our cities

El pasado 7 de enero de 2019 se lanzó oficialmente la nueva convocatoria las URBACT Action Planning Networks, que estará abierta hasta el 17 de abril. Puedes conocer todos los detalles aquí

Rotterdam’s journey from URBACT to Urban Innovative Actions and beyond – the story of a city “in love with Europe”

Three of the cities selected in the first call of the European Commission’s Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) initiative are also working, or have worked, within URBACT on topics similar to their UIA bids: Turin, Bologna and Rotterdam.

We investigated what made these cities successful at being involved in the two European programmes, and asked whether there is – for these cities – something like a trajectory between URBACT and UIA.

This article is the second of a series of three articles planned on the topic.

It is based on an interview with Rotterdam’s Cleo Pouw and Hendrik-Jan Bosch. Cleo is Project manager Europe for the City of Rotterdam and lead partner of the URBACT Projects My Generation, My Generation at Work, and Resilient Europe. Hendrik-Jan works as a strategic advisor for the City of Rotterdam and has helped significantly shape the UIA project BRIDGE.

Rotterdam and Europe: A Love Story

Bologna innovates to help its most fragile communities

Three of the cities selected in the first call of Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) are working, or have worked, within URBACT on topics similar to their UIA bids: Turin, Bologna and Rotterdam.

We investigated what made these cities successful at being involved in the two European programmes, and asked whether there is – for these cities – something like a trajectory between URBACT and UIA.

This article is the third and last of our series of articles on this topic.

It is based on an interview with Manuela Marsano, from the Economic development and city promotion Department, and Inti Bertocchi, from the social inclusion unit at the City of Bologna.

Learning with other European Cities to help the most fragile population