Socio-spatial polarization in Europe

Socio-spatial polarization in Europe

Summer University

CFDU (Conseil Français des Urbanistes / French Council of Town Planners)

Amiens August 2012

I 11 April 2023 I Page 2

› SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION: TRENDS in EUROPE

› NATIONAL PROGRAMMES in EUROPE: WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?

› EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY

› THE URBACT PROGRAMME ACHIEVEMENTS


SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION: TRENDS in EUROPE

SOCIAL POLARIZATION ON THE INCREASE

› Income equality is increasing rapidly

› Work activities and jobs going through complete restructuring

› There is more and more immigration


SOCIO-SPATIAL SEGREGATION IS INCREASING

› The most affluent increasingly keep together: gentrification, gated communities, urban sprawl

› Impoverished neighbourhoods are becoming increasingly impoverished

› Access to jobs and services and social mobility are more difficult in the most impoverished neighbourhoods




WIDELY VARYING CONTEXTS

› In 2011 unemployment ranged from 2.5% in the Salzburg and Tyrol regions (Austria) to 30.4% in Andalusia (Spain) and for the 15-24 age group it ranged from 4.3% for

Tübingen (Germany) to 54.4% for Andalusia. › Various different urban forms and histories: housing

blocks in socialist countries, French ZUPs (priority development areas) etc.

› Minorities and citizenship: the Rom population in Eastern countries, English communitarianism, etc.

› National contexts: social benefits, housing policy, governance and government

NATIONAL PROGRAMMES in EUROPE: WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?

› Few states have an ʺurban policyʺ: Germany (ʺsocial cityʺ), England (New Deal for Communities), Netherlands ( 40 Neighbourhoods Programme), … income inequality is rising rapidly

› Discussion about carrying on with these neighbourhood targeted programmes: in Germany, in France

› Very provisional lessons:

- physical improvements in neighbourhoods seen positively even if other social indicators have not improved

- combine mobilization of public policies at city level (housing, employment, mobility, and so on) with those at neighbourhood level

- analyse the path neighbourhoods follow

- assessment is rarely carried out but very necessary



EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY

BACKGROUND

› Urban planning is a competence of the States

› European ʺAcquis Urbainʺ:

- URBAN (1990-2002) community initiative, ʺintegratedʺ urban policy

- 2007 Leipzig Charter: the States agree about a concept of integrated urban development

› 2007 Lisbon Treaty: the goal of territorial cohesion is added to the goals of social and economic cohesion

› 2007-2014: Integration into common law of the integrated and sustainable urban development approach


EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY

2014-2020 GUIDELINES › European draft regulations for cohesion policy published on 4th

October 2011

› EU 2020 strategy taken into account: an intelligent, holistic and sustainable Europe

› Strengthening the territorial and urban dimension

› New mechanisms and instruments for sustainable and integrated urban development:

- 5% of the ERDF national share for urban use- Overall delegation of budget monies to cities as part of integrated

territorial investments- Local development led by local players: action programme through a

local action group- 0.2% of the ERDF European budget monies for innovatory work- European urban platform structured around the URBACT programme

THE URBACT PROGRAMME ACHIEVEMENTS

› European territorial cooperation programme

› Promotion of sustainable urban development based on exchanging and capitalizing on experience in cities

› Since 2007: 56 thematic projects bringing together over 400 cities

› An ʺURBACT ʺ method to ensure exchanges have local impact : transnational exchanges, local support groups, local action plans

› For 2012, 6 themes promoting exchange of information, including ʺdivided citiesʺ

› URBACT projects on this theme:

CO-NET (Berlin as leader with Vaulx en Velin): social cohesion in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Reg Gov (Duisburg as leader): regional/city/neighbourhood cooperation for urban renovation.

SUITE (Santiago de Compostela with Nantes and Rennes metropolis): social housing as a tool for social inclusion.

› For 2012, 6 themes promoting exchange of information, including « divided cities » see above?

› repeated



URBACT project partner cities


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Socio-spatial polarization in Europe