Brussels, 25/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Although threats loom over the sustainable development of towns, it is time to turn threats into positive challenges, and this can be done through a new form of governance. This is the gist of a committee report on the towns of tomorrow, based on best practice in various European towns and cities. It was presented by European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn during a conference on Monday 24 October on Effective Instruments Supporting Territorial Development, jointly organised by the Polish minister for regional development and the European Commission, in Warsaw. Towns are the link in the chain for making EU development more sustainable. Nonetheless, they are suffering from several disadvantages as some are on the decline or stagnating economically, especially the former industrial towns. They are also victim to ageing populations, and a broadening of the gap between rich and poor. Also, it is becoming increasingly difficult for certain fringe sectors of the population to find suitable housing. What is more, biodiversity is naturally under pressure, which makes towns more vulnerable to flooding.
In response to the above, the report suggests that it is necessary to sink competences and resources into the economy and promote towns of medium or small size, which are essential for avoiding rural depopulation and urban drift. The towns of tomorrow should provide more public areas to foster the inclusion of families and the elderly, while establishing car-free mobility. These recommendations require new forms of governance. Urban development needs rethinking. It is also a question of citizens' empowerment to promote the participation of all relevant stakeholders in civic life. Finally, the report calls for not only horizontal but also vertical coordination of governance, as citizens have to work with other governance levels and reinforce their cooperation and networking with other cities in order to share investments and services which are required at a larger territorial scale. Eurocities is keen on this last point, and, according to Tomasz Kayser, the association's representative at the Warsaw conference: “The direct involvement of local government is necessary to achieve coherent strategies, efficient spending and better value for money”. He was commenting on the partnership contracts between regions and member states as provided for in the next Cohesion Policy programme for 2014-2020. (MD/transl.jl)