Danish Building and Urban Research/EURA conference

Area-based initiatives in contemporary urban policy
– innovations in city governance

Many contemporary European urban policy initiatives emphasise an area-based approach, which also aims to involve the community in planning and implementation of projects. There is a recognised need to strengthen the democratic element, further social inclusion, integrate social, employment, cultural, and physical regeneration components, and to promote urban renewal for the existing residents, rather than to gentrify.

Does this signal a break with previous more sector-organised initiatives and the birth of a new coherent and integrated urban policy better suited to tackle the complex social and economic challenges of the city of the 21 Century?

What challenges and barriers confront efforts to rethink city governance?

Do participatory methods and partnerships in community involvement render superfluous the traditional democratic models of urban government?

Are they better or do they pose new problems in terms of lack of legitimate democratic representation?

The aim of the conference is to bring forward recent European and international research and experience regarding the effects of the new generation of urban policy initiatives both emphasising theoretical debate and empirical findings. Papers on other issues related to regional and urban development are welcome too.