Networks and cities' news

Change in the local administration: where a little magic string goes a long way

„Innovation is a natural way to find new solutions to old problems"

So much more than the IKEA quarter… Transfer story of Targówek, Warsaw

Few people are well acquainted with Targówek. In the minds of Warsaw residents, this district is rather described as: "a peripheral part of the city", "somewhere far beyond Praga", "I heard that the underground is supposed to be coming there - it's incredible!” or „Yeah, I know, I know. Sometimes, I go to IKEA there”. However, the district is inhabited by active residents, coming from diverse backgrounds, building unique neighbourhood communities, so often disappearing in other parts of the city. 

THESSALONIKI TRANSFER STORY

Municipality of Thessaloniki, even though it refers to a city of only 2.5m2 per resident, during the last years supports and hosts in public spaces a vineyard, an orchard, an urban community garden project (Kipos3) and a schoolyard (Triandria school garden). The existence of those productive and “edible” landscapes, within the city center, motivated the Common Benefit Enterprise of the City of Thessaloniki (KEDITH), to participate in the European network Ru:rban of URBACT III. 

Through this experience, the City gained valuable input to structure an institutional tool and a manual in order to multiply its urban gardening initiatives along with the active citizens’ engagement. The rural-urban (“rurban”) blending these initiatives may bring, aims to more cohesive neighborhoods and communities, to more attractive public spaces – especially for the remnant, non accessible and inactive of those -, to a more inclusive, resilient and alive city in the end . Ioanna Kosmopoulou, President of Common Benefit Enterprise City of Thessaloniki "KEDITH"

A Tale of Two Cities. Transfer Stories from East and West.

Two German cities are currently lead partners in the 23 URBACT Transfer Networks. Altena in North Rhine-Westphalia and Chemnitz in Saxony. Altena shared its best practices on how to develop sustainable initiatives with a minimum of external resource input in the Re-growCity network. Chemnitz shared its good practice of activating vacant buildings in need of refurbishment in the ALT/BAU Network.

Both cities were forced to develop methods to lessen the impact of the severe population loss. Chemnitz, in the east, lost about 25% of its population after German reunification until 2005, most of whom migrated to the west to find employment.  Altena, in the west, has been losing residents since the 1970s. Between 1990 and 2009, the city was subject to a 15% population decline, making it the municipality with the fastest population decline in NRW. How did the two cities experience the transfer process in the URBACT networks over the past two and a half years? Volker Tzschucke, ULG member in Chemnitz reports about both cities.

A tool to spread the Playful Paradigm philosophy and co-design the future playful cities

The Network's Final Publication is out. Resources, analysis and stories to help cities include play and gamification in their local urban development

A Tale of Two Cities. Transfer Stories from East and West.

Two German cities are currently lead partners in the 23 URBACT transfer networks. Altena in North Rhine-Westphalia and Chemnitz in Saxony. Altena shared its best practices on how to develop sustainable initiatives with a minimum of external resource input. In the Re-growCity network, the partner cities were supported in the revitalization of public services and the economy, regenerate the urban fabric and develop civil society in a context of long term decline. Chemnitz shared its good practice of activating vacant buildings in need of refurbishment in the ALT/BAU Network.

Both cities were forced to develop methods to lessen the impact of the severe population loss. Chemnitz, in the east, lost about 25% of its population after German reunification until 2005, most of whom migrated to the west to find employment.  Altena, in the west, has been losing residents since the 1970s. Between 1990 and 2009, the city was subject to a 15% population decline, making it the municipality with the fastest population decline in NRW.

How did the two cities experience the transfer process in the URBACT networks over the past two and a half years? Volker Tzschucke, ULG member in Chemnitz reports about both cities.