2020 is an extraordinary year for towns, cities and regions in Europe. On one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic turned most local development strategies upside down in a drastic and challenging way. On the other hand, 2020 still holds the opportunity to influence an important strategic course in the field of European urban development policy.
The regulations governing the EU Structural Funds for the next seven years will be approved. Further, Germany is going to hold the EU Council Presidency from July to December. Together with the European Ministers responsible for urban matters, it will adopt a renewed Leipzig Charter on sustainable urban development at the end of 2020.
Against this background, the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community invite municipalities, city practitioners and urban experts from all over Europe to take part in a series of web conferences under the title “Europe’s Cities Fit for Future”. The events are organised by means of the National Urban Development Policy of the Federal Ministry. The European URBACT programme, promoting knowledge transfer between cities, is closely involved in the preparation and realisation.
Together with you, they would like to discuss current and future approaches for a successful integrated urban development in Europe alongside six web conferences:
September 3rd 2020, 09:45-12:00
Kick-Off
Climate change, increasing social fragmentation, digitalisation, new economies, resilience regarding the challenges accompanying ever-growing globalisation: Cities are facing a number of different challenges. How to cope with them and what the New Leipzig Charter and its principles can contribute is at the heart of the first event.
September 9th 2020, 09:45-18:00 (3x 2h)
Translate it Into Action
Many cities and regions are yet implementing innovative approaches. What is to learn from good practice examples from neighbourhoods, cities and regions all over Europe? We address that in three thematic sessions on good examples on just, green and productive city strategies.
September 18th 2020, 09:45-12:30
Set the Right Framework
Despite their challenges, neighbourhoods, cities and regions are the nucleus of innovative, integrative and inclusive development close to the citizens and their needs. Therefore, at our final web conference, we will discuss what can be done on higher levels to empower cities to fulfil their decisive role in a future-proof development.
Together with high ranking politicians from the EU and national level, urban practitioners and scientists we will discuss what our future cities should look like: How can they make better use of their transformative power? How should they be governed and what can they learn from each other? The conference language at all events will be English.
