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URBAN SUSTAINABILITY IN EUROPE Bob Evans Sustainable Cities Research Institute, Northumbria University, UK 2015/7/17 ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 1 Some introductory comments on the European policy context Governing, government, and the processes of governing urban sustainability 2015/7/17 ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 2 Urban Sustainability in Europe……. The Gothenburg Strategy and 2006 review The 6th Environmental Action Programme The Urban Thematic Strategy + environmental management The Aalborg + 10 Process The European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign 2015/7/17 ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 3 THE DISCUS PROJECT Developing Institutional and Social Capacities For Urban Sustainability 4 A major three year research project co-funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research Fifth Framework Programme, Key Action ‘City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage 5 • ICLEI European Secretariat • Northumbria University, UK • Åbo Akademi University, Finland • WWF-UK • Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal • Focus Lab, Italy • European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign, Brussels • Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary 6 The starting point for the DISCUS research was the fundamental assumption which is deeply embedded in the ‘new environmental agenda’ which emerged from Rio: Good governance is a necessary precondition for the achievement of sustainable development, particularly at the local level 7 Project research question: “What are the factors and conditions that permit good governance for sustainable urban development” This lead us to 3 subsidiary questions which determined the research methodology……. 8 What constitutes ‘success’ in urban sustainable development policy and practice? What are the factors and conditions that permit or obstruct ‘success’ in local sustainable development policy and practice? What constitutes ‘good governance’ for urban sustainable development? 9 KEY CONCEPTS…… Governance Social Capital Institutional Capital Capacity Building 10 GOVERNANCE From Government to Governance Participation and Consultation Stakeholders, Interest organisations and Citizens Networks and Partnership 11 SOCIAL CAPITAL The process of civic engagement Social networks, trust and reciprocity ‘Community’ and common purpose 12 INSTITUTIONAL CAPITAL Knowledge, Values, Relationships Institutional Learning and Culture Civic Entrepreneurship Leadership and Policy Drivers 13 DIMENSIONS OF INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY Administrative Capacity Governance Capacity Political Capacity Intellectual Capacity 2015/7/17 ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 14 CAPACITY BUILDING The Rio ‘Means of Implementation’ Community Development Institutional Building Skills, knowledge, understanding, capacities 15 40 participating cities Varsinais Suomen Tampere Stavanger Lahti Stirling Falkenberg Dungannon Vantaa Växjö Durham Tallin Kuressaare Frederikshavn Gotland Haarlem Redbridge Gdansk Hannover Dunkerque Valenciennes Leuven Diputaciò de Barcelona Santa Perpetua de Mogoda Korelev Albertslund Dunajsaka Munich Luzna Baia Mare Ferrara Fano Orastie Veliko Turnovo Celle Ligure Granollers Beja Anysciai Calvià Provincia di Modena Thessaloniki Dubrovnik 16 To understand the analytical problem Literature review Capacity building projects review Theoretical background Internet debate 1 Fieldwork methodology To use the tools = methods Data collection Preliminary results To design the analytical tools European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign International conference Dissemination of results Data anlaysis Setting up of criteria to identify cities‘ efficiency towards sustainability Internet debate 2 Preparation of policy guidelines To interpret and use the results of the analysis 17 2. Key-person interviews 1. Document analysis and basic data about the city 3. Major actor surveys * Key-holder 18 Key themes and findings Governing Sustainable Cities……. Governing, Governance and Government 19 What do we mean by governance? “a process of open and inclusive public decision-making which actively seeks the commitment and engagement of citizens. stakeholders and interest organisations” …and ‘good governance’ is collaborative, consensual, democratic, and ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’ 2015/7/17 20 What are the key principles which underpin good governance? Openness Participation Accountability Effectiveness Coherence 2015/7/17 (European Governance – A White Paper, 2001)21 But, to these we must add… Principled Leadership Dialogue Trust ….and crucially, Democracy Equity Justice 2015/7/17 22 Is governance……….. unarguably a ‘good thing’? and somehow better than ‘government? The traditional/normative model: the government – governance continuum Top down Government ‘Bad’ 2015/7/17 Bottom up Governance ‘Good’ 23 The DISCUS Model Governing Government Governance From ‘Governing Sustainable Cities’ by Evans, Joas, Sundbach & Theobald, Earthscan Press, 2004 2015/7/17 24 So governance is……. part of the process of governing and it is the sphere of public debate, partnership, interaction, dialogue and conflict entered into by local citizens and organisations and by local government 2015/7/17 25 Local government is the key to local governance Effective urban governance is nurtured by local government The governance process can build institutional capital The governance process can build social capital 2015/7/17 26 Figure 6.6 DYNAMIC INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY ACHIEVEMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY CAPACITY BUILDING for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL CAPACITY 2015/7/17 G O V E R N A N C E 3 2 EFFECTIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS 1 GOVERNING FOR SD CIVIL SOCIETY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY 4 Categories of Governing 1. Dynamic Governing 2. Active Government 3. Passive Government 4. Voluntary Governing 27 The relationship between social and institutional capacity, capacity-building measures and sustainable development policy outcomes Higher Higher Social capacity for sustainable development Institutional capacity for sustainable development 1 Dynamic governing 4 Voluntary governing ⇨ Active sustainability capacity-building ⇨ Voluntary sustainability capacity-building ⇨ High possibility for sustainability policy achievement ⇨ Low possibility for sustainability policy outcomes 2 Active government Lower ⇨ Medium sustainable development capacity-building ⇨ Medium or fairly high possibility for sustainability policy outcomes 2015/7/17 Lower ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 3 Passive government ⇨ Low/no sustainable development capacitybuilding ⇨Sustainability policy failure 28 Key themes and findings…. Local government autonomy The role of the individual Institutional capacity Stakeholder engagement and social capacity Trust, consent and informal links 29 Key themes and findings…. Local government as the key driver Incremental and pragmatic action Outward looking local government Interaction with other levels of government Capacity building for sustainable development 30 An Agenda for Action A learning organisation Moving away from policy silos Making alliances with people and organisations Facilitation and leadership Creative and innovative policy making 31 An Agenda for Action Communicating to make a difference Environmental action as a catalyst Commitment to a long term vision Sharing experience with peers Influencing all levels of government 32 “As the level of governance closest to the people, local authorities play a vital role in educating, mobilising and responding to the public to promote sustainable development.” (Agenda 21, 1992) 33 www.governingsustainablecities.org 34 Bob Evans Sustainable Cities Research Institute Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK [email protected] www.sustainable-cities.org.uk 2015/7/17 ©Sustainable Cities Research Institute 35