Today, almost three quarters of Europeans live in urban areas. Cities are at the core of institutional relations and economic growth. Yet, they are facing unprecedented social and environmental challenges that curb their rational development. It is time to think about the need to overcome these obstacles and plan a way to create fertile conditions to foster urban development, engaging citizens and communities in the process.
Experts, scholars and city-makers will explore this issue on February 25th in Amsterdam during the ECF’s event “New Democracy, Co-creating the City”. It will be a welcome opportunity to dialogue about urban poverty, affordable housing, sustainable use of land, exploring the already rich European landscape of public-civil partnerships and participatory governance practices. The event is organized by the European Cultural Foundation – in collaboration with Europe by People, Kunsten ’92, Leeuwarden – Fryslân 2018 European Capital of Cultural, Netwerk Democratie and Pakhuis de Zwijger . It is part of “New Democracy”, a series of events on democratic and cultural renewal in Europe from a citizens’ perspective.
The event has the clear aim to contribute to the forthcoming EU Urban Agenda, a cornerstone of the Dutch Presidency of the Council, which will be adopted by EU Heads of state and government during the ad hoc Ministerial Conference that will take place on May 30th. Experts, scholars, academics and city-makers will gather in Amsterdam to discuss and formulate creative and innovative solutions to urban challenges, in order to encourage cultural change and stimulate the development of good governance practices.
Eminent figures – leading the process towards urban, social and institutional innovation in the cities of Bologna, Solin and Leeuwarden – will intervene as speakers. Among them: Christian Iaione, professor of Public Law, Director of the Laboratory for the Governance of the Commons, LUISS Roma and member of the International Association for the Study of the Commons; Antonija Eremut, Manager of the EU funded projects in cultural tourism and sustainable urban development; Pedro Campos Ponce, Beleidsadviseur Europees stedenbeleid, BZK; Sjoerd Feitsma, Councillor of Culture Leeuwarden.
You can find the program of the event here.
Commonspoly, a hacked version of the Monopoly ©Julio-Albarrán
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Circa tre quarti dei cittadini Europei vive oggi in aree urbane. Le città sono ormai il cuore pulsante dell’Europa. Tuttavia, esse sono costrette a confrontarsi con sfide sociali, ambientali e istituzionali senza precedenti. E’ tempo di superare questi ostacoli e contribuire allo sviluppo urbano in modo creativo ed innovativo, partecipando attivamente in quanto cittadini e comunità, con l’obiettivo di ricreare e co-creare le nostre città, insieme. Lo faremo ad Amsterdam, il 25 febbraio, in occasione dell’evento “New Democracy: Co-Creating the City” organizzato dell’European Cultural Foundation.