European seminar of urban planning agencies

Description

Description

When faced with crises and challenges, urban planners must adapt and rethink concepts and amend models:

• How can we move from a quantitative density to a qualitative density, which would take into account natural resources and their circularity?
• How can we build a city with several activity centres and enable urban flows to be better spread out?
• What spatial strategies may help promote the more sustainable use of land and facilitate a shift towards a more balanced territorial development that maintains green, blue and open spaces in urban areas?

Objectives and programme

Objectives and programme

When faced with common challenges, strategies sometimes differ. This seminar allowed the different approaches to be presented and collected, but also provided an opportunity to compare the different methods that can be used to observe the area and the different data and ideas, and to envisage collaborations. Another aim of the seminar was to learn from each other. The seminar explored the theme of urban sprawl and qualitative density in three dimensions:

• New ways of urban living and urban dwelling
• Green, blue and grey: combining a built environment with nature
• Planning tools for the sound governance of the city

Field visits, workshops and panel discussions fostered interactive exchanges on the role of urban planning agencies in meeting the challenges ahead, and on how urban planners can better make their voices heard by EU institutions.

The event was punctuated by a speech from Philippe Bihouix, Deputy Managing Director of the AREP Group and an expert in the energy transition and resource management. He presented his concept of the stationary city, aimed at reducing the ecological impact of cities by making better use of existing buildings. Other speakers from Amsterdam, Barcelona, Prague, the Brussels Region, the Metrex and FNAU networks and the European Commission contributed to the discusssions on the links between urban planning and European policies.

Results

Results

At the end of these discussions, four clear priorities emerged:

• Identify the appropriate scale for achieving the "net zero artificialisation" objective, particularly in functional urban areas, in order to effectively combat urban sprawl;
• Identify the dimensions of qualitative density, using the compact city model highlighted by the new Leipzig Charter (2020). Optimising places and buildings, intensifying usage, and sharing and transforming public spaces, buildings and existing infrastructures have been identified as themes to be explored and pursued;
• Strengthen the representation of planning agencies at European level, so that their messages are better heard by European institutions;
• Strengthen the dialogue between European institutions and urban planners and agencies when drawing up and implementing EU regulations and policies that have an impact on cities.

These priorities are reflected in the conclusions of the Belgian presidency of the EU.

Following this seminar, collaboration between European urban planning agencies continues through Perspective's coordination of an informal network.

Consult the event report

Publication

Publication

In preparation for this event and as part of its commitment to sharing experiences, Perspective launched a call for contributions in 2023 in order to gather inspiring European projects related to these 3 themes.
Following this call, 19 projects were selected to be presented in a publication entitled "Should I stay or should I go? Urban sprawl, density, and a new planning agenda for Europe".
The event is also accompanied by an exhibition open from 29 May to 06 september 2024 at Perspective's "Lab" space, rue de Namur 59, 1000 Brussels.