Transcript UrBES
UrBES - 1 ISTAT and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) have created a network of the Italian cities which are ready to experiment with and compare measures based on indicators of fair and sustainable urban well-being (UrBES). These cities have agreed to take part in a project proposed by the Bologna City Council and Urban Laboratory. (Centre for data, research, and proposals for the cities can be found at www.laboratoriourbano.info) UrBES - 2 The preparation of a range of indicators of fair and sustainable wellbeing for the cities, in order to: Facilitate and stimulate the exchange of best practices among the cities; Encourage periodic assessments of the “state of the city” by the administration; Promote and develop the experience of participation and local democracy based on the principle of accountability and allowing the citizens to evaluate the actions of the governing bodies. Cities and City Councils which are involved in UrBES Brescia • Pesaro • • Fonte: Il Gazzettino 14 aprile 2012 Many of the major cities are involved in UrBES, including: Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Rome, Turin, Venice and the captial cities of Brescia, Bolzano, Messina e Pesaro (including the province). Cities identified by the parliament. Cities identified by the regions and special statutes.. Why was UrBES founded? To promote local and national development by developing a network of cities, which, in order to stimulate the exchange of best practices among them, create a battery of qualitative and quantitative indicators which are able to measure “urban well-being” in terms of “fair and sustainable well-being” (BES). The aims of UrBES - 1 The indicators which will make up an “Urbes instrument panel” must be selected on the basis of meeting the double objectives of: 1. Being available for governance, as instruments available for developing and improving local government policies; 2. Allowing citizens to evaluate the actions of administrators through the experience that they have gained from direct participation in local democracy. The aims of UrBES - 2 In addition ….. The virtuous circle of information triggered off by a basic approach of responding to the demands of citizens for greater transparency and greater available information on governance. Periodic evaluations of the “state of the city”, so that citizens can evaluate the actions of the local government and to develop experience in participating in local democracy, based on the principle of accountability. 04/11/14 The aims of UrBES -3 And… To support the objectives of the strategic plans by preparing documents which can compare the aims with the results. To put forward proposals for local development in coordination with EU city organisations. Prepare a national urban agenda which is in harmony with EU objectives. Encourage public discussion of the proposed indicators that should be used, as well as those already chosen, through constant montoring of the development of the particular project on the city council's websites. UrBES: some considerations….. Analysis of the results of the first report on UrBES leads one to reflect on the fact that applying national policies at local level may be not enough to reach the objectives set by UrBES. Local bodies do not have the authority to act in all of the areas identified by the BES project. The dimensions of fair and sustainable well-being Certain city councils - Bologna, Genoa, Milan and Venice – have set up consultation processes for citizens. These are aimed at particular groups and designed to evaluate which areas of BES are of most relevance for them. The first UrBES report contains a synthesis of the views expressed by the citizens. Results of the consultation with the citizens of Bologna Number of people responding to the UrBES questionnaire, by organisation Using the same questionnaire as was used at national level, nine targets in the city were selected, as well as other organisations, and a total of 3,624 people were interviewed http://urbes.comune.bologna.it/)) 1st UrBES Report (June 2013) i. Introduction A section with contributions from each of the cities (15 chapters) with comments on the BES indicators or each area from 2004 to 2011-2012 Appendices containing the available BES indicators, the additional indicators added by the city councils, and a synthesis of the initiatives to consult the citizens set up by certain city councils. The characteristics of UrBES indicators A subset of the indicators for the twelve BES domains at national level; 26 indicators which cover 1o of the 12 BES domains; Available at city council, or at least provincial, level; identifiable and able to be monitored in all the cities which have enrolled in the project; Availability of historical records. Health: Ur-BES Indicators - 1 Life expectancy at birth Infant mortality rate Standardised death rates from traffic accidents Standardised death rates from tumours. Standardised death rates from dementia and diseases of the nervous system Education and training Literacy level of students Numeracy level of students Work and equal opportunities employment rate 20 to 64 years of age. percentage of those not forming part of the workforce rate of fatal accidents oor permanent disabilities. Economic well-being Disposable income Ur-BES Indicators - 1 Politics and institutions: percentage voting percentage (or number?) of women in city councils percentage (or number?) of women in provincial councils average age of city councillors average age of provincial councillors Safety and security Murder rate Landscape and cultural heritage density of historic "green areas" and urban parks which are of marked public interest survival of the historic urban fabric. Ur-BES Indicators - 1 Environment: drinkable water urban air quality availability of urban "green" areas Research and innovation: likelihood of patents being granted Quality of services: council taking responsibility for services for infants and small children differentiated waste collection density of the local public transport network. Next steps… In 1998 in Bogotà a partnership of the El Tiempo publishing house, the Corona Foundation, the local chamber of commerce and the Javeriana University financed the “Bogotá, cómo vamos” program. This was a system for periodic evaluations of the population based on development indicators and the perceptions of the citizens themselves. The aim was to identify and monitor changes in the quality of life of the city and its citizens. An example of best practices which should be imitated…. Next steps… Elaboration of a new questionnaire for the citizens based on the results of the BES and UrBES reports. This will be published on the websites of the organisations and launched at a press conference of city mayors and the president of ISTAT simultaneously in every city in September 2015. Next steps… To promise to publish comparative data on the basic indicators at the start, during and at the end of the mandate of every administration which enrolls in UrBES. To define a city council section that will be inserted in the performance and transparency plan (D. Leg. No. 150/2009 and 33/2013) and in the report at the end of the mandate (D. Leg. No. 149/2011) for each organisation, and to identify a specific day every year which will be dedicated to transparency (D. Leg. No. 150/2009, art. 11) and on which the data will be made available to the citizens.