M e m or a n du m
M e m or a n du m
“URBAN EN ERGI ES – Ur ba n Ch a lle n ge s”
Rising t o t heir responsibilit y for t he urban and regional fut ure, t he part icipant s of t he in-t ernain-t ional conference have developed in-t his m em orandum in full and open parin-t icipain-t ion of nat ional and int ernat ional part ners from t he privat e sect or, academ ic inst it ut ions, civil societ y and various polit ical levels.
Alt hough we w ill m ainly focus on Europe, sust ainable urban developm ent rem ains none-t heless a global necessinone-t y
I . Pr e a m ble
( 1) The LEI PZI G CHARTER on Sust ainable European Cit ies was adopt ed five years ago. I t builds on t he result s of t he Global Conference on t he Urban Fut ure URBAN 21 held in 200. The cha lle nge s ident ified at t he t im e are st ill valid t oday: dem ographic change, social inequalit y and int egrat ion, short age of affordable housing as w ell as environm ent al and t raffic problem s. Since t hen, clim at e change has becom e m ore serious and it s im -pact s m ore significant , t he era of cheap fossil energy is nearing it s end, food product ion has becom e m ore vulnerable t o crises, and t he financial syst em ’s t urm oil has not only burdened public finances but is also a t hreat t o social peace. These developm ent s affect cit ies, but increasingly also rural areas.
( 2) Policy m akers, t he civil societ y and t he privat e sect or m ust provide answers t o t hese challenges – int ernat ional, nat ional, regional and m unicipal answ ers. Cit ies of all sizes hereby have a part icular responsibilit y and obligat ion. The m aj or st rat egic t ask for t he fut ure is t he loca l a nd r e giona l im ple m e n t a t ion of t he e n e r gy t r a n sit ion. Only w it h great er energy efficiency and t he use of renewable energies can t he era of cheap fossil energy be left behind. And only by doing so w ill an effect ive cont ribut ion be m ade t o fight clim at e change. Cit ies are once again called upon. The Energiew ende ( energy t ransit ion) can only be successful if it is nor considered as an isolat ed t ask but rat her if it is em bed-ded in int egrat ed urban developm ent st rat egies. This requires ext raor dinary econom ic, social, ecological and cult ural sensit ivit y.
( 3) I n m any st at es, drast ically reducing greenhouse gas em issions and energy consum p-t ion is a sp-t ap-t ed obj ecp-t ive. I n Europe, p-t he housing sp-t ock should be alm osp-t clim ap-t e- neup-t ral by 2050. I n Germ any, wit hdrawing from nuclear energy and enact ing t he energy t ransi-t ion has crearansi-t ed a new fram ework and im posed new consransi-t rainransi-t s. I n addiransi-t ion ransi-t o increasing energy efficiency, an ext ensive conversion t o renewable energy sources is essent ial. The
u se of r e ge n e r a t ive e n e r gy r e sou r ce s w ill not only change urban ut ilit ies infrast ruc-t ures buruc-t also affecruc-t buildings as well as ciruc-t y- and landscapes. Wiruc-t h iruc-t s enorm ous dim en-sion, t he form of t his change brings new t asks in t he renovat ion and new const ruct ion of buildings and neighbourhoods as well as in urban, t ransport and landscape developm ent .
( 4) Eu r ope a n cit ie s provide good condit ions t o address t hese challenges. Cit yscapes, public spaces, st reet s, green spaces and buildings offer a sense of local ident it y and hom ebuilding in t im es of accelerat ed globalisat ion. Their respect ive singularit y m ust be considerer. Thanks t o t heir archit ect ural and social qualit ies, cit ies can m ake a significant cont ribut ion t o t he im plem ent at ion of t he energy t ransit ion.
-m ent t o acco-m pany sust ainable urban renewal, but also fro-m educat ion and science in-st it ut ions. Cit ies are “ energet ic cat alyin-st s” of key social, econom ic, ecological, t echnologi-cal and cult ural innovat ions. They concent rat e init iat ive and w illingness t o part icipat e as well as com m it t ed and com pet ent cit izens. Regarding foreigners and m inorit ies, t he vast m aj orit y of cit izens is t olerant and shows solidarit y wit h social issues.
( 6) This m em orandum coins requirem ent s for polit ical inspirat ion, innovat ion, creat ivit y and civic engagem ent t o ensure an environm ent ally responsible, socially balanced and econom ically robust – in short , a sust ainable urban developm ent .
I I . Ke y t a sk s for su st a ina ble u r ba n de ve lopm e n t
( 7) Fou r m a j or t a sk s a r e on t he a ge n da : fir st ly, t h e ca u t iou s e cologica l r e n e w a l of bu ildin gs a nd n e igh bou r hoods, se condly , t h e t e chn ologica l r e ge ne r a t ion of u r ba n infr a st r u ct u r e s, t h ir dly, de ve loping a ne w m obilit y a n d four t h ly , socia l in t e gr a t ion . Th e se fou r m a j or t a sk s h a ve be e n discu sse d a t le n gt h bu t a r e u su -a lly se p-a r -a t e d fr om on e -a n ot h e r , m or e ove r in v-a r iou s pr ofe ssion -a l -a n d polit ic-a l cir cle s. The y m u st be br ou gh t t oge t h e r . Th e e n e r gy t r a n sit ion a nd t h e figh t a ga in st clim a t e cha nge r e qu ir e s n ot on ly r e n e w ing cit ie s a n d r e gion s, ch a nge s in u r ba n infr a st r u ct ur e s, n e w m obilit y a n d socia l in t e gr a t ion but a lso n e w e co-n om ic a co-nd fico-na co-n cia l ba se s a co-n d r e spe ct for cu lt u r a l ide co-n t it y. Aco-nd oco-n ly w h e co-n t h e cit y a n d it s su r r ou n din g h in t e r la n d a r e br ou gh t conside r a bly close r ca n t h e n e c-e ssa r y conv c-e r sion bc-e su ccc-e ssful.
( 8) I ncreased energy efficiency st art s at t he level of t he single house. Buildings are gradually m oving away from being energy consum ers ( Plus- Energy- House) . Renovat ion and energet ic ret rofit t ing of housing buildings are however m ore im port ant t han good new building. Energet ic rehabilit at ion is one point , alt hough as an increasingly significant com ponent of ext ensive renovat ion it also includes good design and a socially fair dist ri-but ion of cost s. The key t o a successful energy t ransit ion is t he overall efficiency at neighbourhood and m et ropolit an level. I n addit ion t o energy efficiency and using renew -able energies, an innovat ive m ix of sust ain-able, low- CO2 energy product ion, consum
p-t ion, sp-t orage capacip-t y and inpup-t is also essenp-t ial. The r e ne w a l a n d con st r u ct ion of bu ildin gs a n d n e ighbou r h oods requires clear agreem ent s, int egrat ed as well as act or-focused concept s in order t o achieve overall urban efficiency and draw any addit ional form s of financing.
( 9) Our cit ies can rem ain fit for t he fut ure w it h a need- driven adapt at ion of exist ing, and by developing new, u r ba n u t ilit ie s in fr a st r uct u r e syst e m s. This requires considerable invest m ent , especially in developing local renewable energy product ion syst em s. A con-siderable effort is needed t o find suit able locat ions as well as a good design for t hese renew able energy syst em s. The use of m odern t echnology allow s for a m ult idisciplinary opt im izat ion and linking of energy and m obilit y syst em s. I nt elligent syst em s and net -w orks can im prove urban life.
ri-but ion cent res and hubs as well as sm all, elect ric or hybrid delivery vehicles for urban areas. The aim is t o relieve cit ies of noise and pollut ion and im prove m ain st reet s, public spaces and squares.
( 11) Socia l in t e gr a t ion is t he fourt h m aj or challenge of fut ure urban policies. Grow ing polarisat ion bet ween rich and poor as well as bet ween cult ures has led t o a deeper socio-spat ial div ision of cit ies. I n order t o preserve and im prove t he cit y’s abilit y t o int egrat e, t he weak m ust be prot ect ed, int ercult ural int eract ion prom ot ed, barriers broken down and opport unit ies prom ot ed. This calls in part icular upon civic engagem ent . Social equit y, j ust ice and inclusion in t he cont ext of t he energy t ransit ion are also key goals. I n addi-t ion addi-t o affordable and efficienaddi-t housing as w ell as social faciliaddi-t ies, iaddi-t is also necessary addi-t o prom ot e crucial behavioural changes in all social groups t o reduce energy consum pt ion. The energy t ransit ion cost w ill have t o be econom ically dist ribut ed and socially fair. Wit h t heir part icular focus on hum an developm ent in deprived neighbourhoods, t he obj ect ives of t he LEI PZI G CHARTER becom e even m ore relevant in t he case of t he necessary int e-grat ed approaches t o energy- efficient neighbourhood developm ent .
( 12) Cit ies, w it h t heir various educat ional and t raining opport unit ies, offer an out st anding pot ent ial for social int egrat ion. They t hus cont ribut e t o t he com pet it iveness of our ent ire econom ic syst em in a globalised world. Youn g pe ople in part icular can cont ribut e w it h t heir ideas and com m it m ent t o m aking cit ies bet t er places t o live in. Their part icipat ion in all areas of urban developm ent is t o be prom ot ed. I t is essent ial t o support not only early- childhood developm ent and bet t er educat ion in schools and universit ies, but also t o provide an at m osphere t hat offers young people and fam ilies at t ract ive w orking and liv-ing condit ions in cit ies, a cult ure of openness and t olerance as w ell as social and cult ural diversit y. A specific challenge is t o int egrat e young people from disadvant aged back-grounds – also because social change requires any creat ive force. I t has proven useful for schools and day care cent res t o open up t o t heir neighbourhoods and becom e local social cent res for fam ilies.
( 13) D e m ogr a ph ic ch a n ge, in part icular in t erm s of ageing as well as fragm ent at ion of lifest yles and w idening disparit ies, requires m odifying, convert ing, ext ending or dism an-t ling buildings and neighbourhoods. This is a sm aran-t w ay an-t o com bine ian-t w ian-t h an-t he cauan-t ious ecological t r ansform at ion of cit ies. Especially in societ ies facing populat ion decline, we w ill only be able t o deal w it h fut ure challenges if senior cit izens rem ain act ive longer – bot h professionally and wit h volunt ary w ork. Social housing policies are also responsible for new housing const ruct ions t aking int o account age- and fam ily- specific needs as well as m odernisat ion of exist ing age- friendly buildings. Mixed urban st ruct ures, easy access, affordable rent s and age- friendly housing are essent ial condit ions for senior cit izens t o st ay as long as possible in t heir fam iliar surroundings. I t is also im port ant for t heir fam ilies t hat t hey can live in t he cit y. Dem ographic and environm ent al goals are best com -bined in com pact building and urban st ruct ures. Securit y is a basic need for cit izens of all ages whose im port ance t o t he qualit y of life increases wit h age. Beyond obj ect ive secu-rit y, t he subj ect ive feeling of secusecu-rit y is also of great value – an individual who does not feel safe is im paired in his or her qualit y of life and lim it ed in his or her part icipat ion in societ y. Public spaces m ust t herefore be accessible t o all age groups wit hout fear. I t should be not ed t hat t he neglect of public spaces t riggers fear and insecurit y.
( 14) Ur ba n a n d h ist or ic ce n t r e s creat e ident it y in t he cit y and region. They m ust be st rengt hened as an im age of urban hist ory as w ell as cent res for cult ure, educat ion, re-ligion, ret ail, adm inist rat ion and housing. The careful handling of archit ect ural herit age is also required for t he ecological renewal. I n t his case, deprived inner cit y neighbourhoods in part icular deserve special support .
definit ely also have som e advant ages which can be exploit ed: building densit y t hat fa-vours energy efficiency as well as being oft en easily accessible by public t ransport . I n t he suburbs and surrounding urban areas, t here is a need for act ion t o st abilize and possibly dism ant le sim ple and no longer adj ust ed t o t he dem and a r e a s of sin gle fa m ily de -t a ch e d hou sin g a r e a s lacking adequat e social infrast ruct ure and facilit ies as well as an ext ensive access t o public t ransport .
( 16) The long- t erm redevelopm ent of cit ies requires a n e w ba la n ce of de n sit y, ope n -n e ss a -n d dive r sit y. Cit ies need open space for recreat ion, cold air st orage and urban agricult ure, at t ract ive, pedest rian- friendly st reet s and spaces, green and open spaces perceived as safe and well- designed. They also need t o be densely built as well as so-cially, funct ionally and archit ect urally diverse. A good relat ionship bet ween densit y and openness will help creat e a healt hy cit y. The com pact urban developm ent w it h w ell-balanced open spaces paving t he way t o a “ walkable cit y and region” is t he goal of eco-logical renew al. Developm ent w it hin cit ies is st ill t he m ain t ask.
( 17) Resource efficiency, clim at e prot ect ion and dealing wit h consequences of clim at e change can only be achieved by engaging t he cit y w it h it s su r r ou ndin g h in t e r la n d a nd r u r a l a r e a s. This im plies above all an int ensive and inclusive developm ent coordinat ion w it h t he m et ropolit an areas’s different m unicipal aut horit ies. A balance bet w een t ow n and count ryside – a new regional balance – is t hus sought aft er. A keyst one is t he est ab-lishm ent of regional t ransport at ion syst em s t hat reduce t ransport cost s for people and goods. Cit ies and t heir surrounding hint erland should cooperat e m ore in order t o
st rengt hen regional econom ic act ivit y, im prove cit ies’ food supply from t he count ryside, set up regional energy and wat er aut horit ies, open up t he region t o local recreat ion and st rengt hen m et ropolit an public t ransport .
( 18) An overall shrinking populat ion facilit at es a considerable r e du ct ion of addit ional
la n d- u se. However, t here are ot her large savings pot ent ials, especially in areas of t rade and t ransport . The reuse of vacant buildings and derelict land for econom ic purposes m ust prevail over building on greenfield sit es. Wast elands and derelict buildings can also be used for clim at e regulat ion ( generat ing cold air, reducing t em perat ures, vent ilat ion, wat er ret ent ion) and renewable energy product ion ( solar and wind energy, geot herm al energy, energy from organic m at t er) . There are also large energy recovery pot ent ials in indust rial areas.
( 19) A pre- condit ion t o good building, adequat e urban infrast ruct ure and new form s of m obilit y are innovat ive const ruct ion and operat ing principles, known as sm a r t in fr a -st r u ct u r e s. Wat er supply and drainage, power and heat supply, t ransport and m obilit y should be gradually decent ralised, but should also be at t he sam e t im e rest ruct ured int o net w orked syst em s. These allow for a m ult iple use of resources ( energy, wat er, build-ings, land) and include t heir users. Surplus energy from buildings can be a source of en-ergy for ot her uses – elect ric vehicles for exam ple. Decent ralised organisat ion of t he in-frast ruct ure and local and regional responsibilit y are inext ricable.
( 20) St ruct ural econom ic change is m ainly t aking place in t he cit y. Know ledge- based econom ies and t he creat ive indust ry – know ledge, educat ion, research and developm ent , cult ure – have an inclinat ion for urban locat ions. They cont ribut e t o t he econom ic “ urban renaissance” . Urban environm ent s are im port ant for innovat ion and know ledge sharing, and at t ract young people. This m akes t he buzzw ord of cr e a t ive pa r t icipa t ion t angible: expert s are needed t o prom ot e, support , readj ust and secure t he econom ic, energet ic but also social t ransform at ions in an innovat ive w ay. Com pet it ion for t alent w ill influence t he fut ure of any cit y.
m eans t hat ident it y- forging ensem bles and buildings need t o be rest ored in such a way t hat t heir appearance is preserved. This principle should also be applied t o everyday ar-chit ect ure: no energy efficiency im provem ent w it hout qualit y design. New buildings can com ply wit h fut ure resource and energy st andards. The aim should be t o increase t he beaut y of, as well as t he ident ificat ion t o and responsibilit y for, t he cit y alongside it s nec-essary reconst ruct ion. Sust ainable const ruct ion, im proved urban infrast ruct ures, new m obilit y and changing behaviours im proving energy efficiency and conservat ion are es-sent ial for long- t erm , sust ainable urban developm ent . They m ust however be consist ent wit h t he preservat ion and furt her developm ent of cit ies’ cult ural qualit ies and charact eris-t ics. Baukult ur ( building cult ure) is an im port ant locat ion fact or.
I I I . An a llia n ce for a su st a ina ble cit y: u r ba n e n e r gie s
( 22) A com pe t e nt a n d r e spon sible policy a n d a dm in ist r a t ion a t a ll le ve ls ca n pa ve t h e w a y t o su st a ina ble bu ildings, su st a ina ble n e ighbou r h oods a n d t h e su s-t a ina ble cis-t y. Addr e ssin g s-t he m a j or ch a lle n ge s r e qu ir e s br oa d socia l a llia n ce s a n d t r a n spa r e nt pr oce sse s. St a k e h olde r s fr om t he e con om y, a ca de m ia , t r a de u n ions, a ssocia t ion s, foun da t ion s, cu lt u r e , e du ca t ion , m e dia , r e ligion , spor t s a s w e ll a s pr om ot e r s a n d pla n ne r s h a ve a lw a ys be e n im por t a n t pa r t n e r s in u r ba n de ve lopm e n t . Toda y m or e t ha n e ve r , civic pa r t icipa t ion a n d pr iv a t e in it ia t ive s a r e a lso n e e de d t o im ple m e n t u r ba n de ve lopm e n t pr oj e ct s su cce ssfu lly .
( 23) St a k e h olde r s in t he cit y and t he region follow t heir ow n logic and rules. I t is im -port ant t o act ivat e and focus t heir st rengt hs t o innovat ion, com m unit y engagem ent and ent repreneurial init iat ive for a fut ure- orient ed urban developm ent .
( 24) The e con om y show s ent repreneurial init iat ive, and has user friendly and m arket -able product s for a fut ure- orient ed and clim at e- conscious building and urban develop-m ent . Re se a r ch a n d de v e lopm e n t, especially educat ion and t raining, are t he founda-t ions supporfounda-t ing founda-t his success. Businesses are increasingly recognizing founda-t he pofounda-t enfounda-t ial of urban developm ent and playing a part in concret e proj ect s.
( 25) The cult u r a l a nd cr e a t ive e con om y, w it h it s innovat ive pow er, t akes part in t he design of our cit ies. I t s social relev ance allow s it t o em brace t he current social challenges in it s act ions and developm ent s.
( 26) Scie n ce com piles know ledge in fundam ent al research and applicable im plem ent a-t ion sa-t raa-t egies for susa-t ainable building and urban developm ena-t . I a-t should m ake greaa-t er use in t eaching and research of t he principles and dem ands laid by t he m em orandum as a foundat ion for int er- disciplinary ( furt her) educat ion and t raining of t he current and t he next generat ions. Fut ure- orient ed building and urban research should be prom ot ed.
( 27) Cit ize n s are increasingly involved in t heir neighbourhoods and cit ies and, as ex-pert s of t heir ow n living environm ent , t hus help provide t he necessary m easures t o es-t ablish a broad social basis. Appropriaes-t e form s of pares-t icipaes-t ion, co- decision, involvem enes-t and co- design should be furt her developed for t his purpose.
( 28) Pr om ot e r s a nd ow n e r s ( invest ors and proj ect developers) have t o be evaluat ed according t o t he principles of sust ainable building and of t he sust ainable cit y. Support ing econom ic fram ew orks condit ions and set t ing clear efficiency t arget s can fost er w illingness t o change.
( 30) Ar ch it e ct s, e n gine e r s a n d pla n ne r s m ust use t heir know ledge in closer coopera-t ion in a creacoopera-t ive, coopera-t im ely and responsible m anner. Holiscoopera-t ic approaches coopera-t o planning are essent ial as w ell as early involvem ent of expert s from ot her disciplines and cit izens.
( 31) I t is im port ant t o est ablish in t e r n a t iona l, n a t iona l, r e gion a l a nd loca l a llia n ce s
bet ween policy, adm inist rat ion, econom y, sciences and cit izens. Such alliances do not occur by t hem selves, but rat her in t he pursuit of j oint program m es, plans, and key pro-j ect s for t he sust ainable cit y – for exam ple, under t he Nat ional Urban Developm ent Policy ( of Germ any) . They creat e new form s of negot iat ions of st rat egic goals and proj ect s. Po-lit ical and adm inist rat iv e inst it ut ions are t hereby in charge of bringing all st akeholders t oget her in t erm s of procedure and cont ent as w ell as t riggering essent ial coalit ions. These alliances m ust be st able, reliable and t ransparent .
( 32) Local self- governm ent is a key fact or t o t he sust ainable developm ent of cit ies, com m unit ies and t he nat ion as a whole. I n t he light of t he rapid changes relat ed t o glob-alizat ion processes, t he principle of subsidiar it y rat her t han a cent ralized st ruct ure is proving t o be a part icularly successful m odel. The public se ct or plays a k e y r ole in de-signing t he sust ainable cit y. Com m it t ed local councils have held a cent ral role in urban developm ent . I n addit ion, it w ill also require a reliable and t echnically com pet ent adm ini-st rat ion holding long- t erm and t ransparent program m es. I t s apt it ude for organisat ion is t herefore essent ial. Bet t er organisat ional and operat ional st ruct ures are required, as well as a sufficient num ber of st uff. Only by m erging t he t opics of ecological urban renewal, urban infrast ruct ure, new m obilit y and social int egrat ion w ill sust ainable building and urban developm ent be possible.
( 33) Several good – but oft en select ive and sect oral – proposals for a sust ainable cit y are already available. The direct ion is clear regarding pract ical m eans, however, a public de-bat e m ust be held in every cit y. The prim ary obj ect ive is t he sust ainable cit y, overcom ing energy and clim at e issues. Program m es and proj ect s t hat m eet t his obj ect ive m ust be negot iat ed and im plem ent ed on sit e. They have t o t ake int o account environm ent al, eco-nom ic, cult ural and social aspect s. They t herefore requir e an in t e gr a t e d u r ba n a n d r e giona l de v e lopm e n t in regard of sect oral, t em poral, spat ial and process- relat ed pur-poses t o which European Minist ers have com m it t ed t hem selves in t he LEI PZI G CHARTER and t he TERRI TORI AL AGENDA. Concept s as well as proj ect s m ust be built upon pat hs for act ion and long- t erm considerat ions.
( 34) Ur ba n de v e lopm e n t pla n s of a new generat ion carry a special im port ance, includ-ing int egrat ed social and econom ic issues and especially energy and clim at e dut ies and responsibilit ies. A m aj or t ask of urban developm ent plans will be t o develop efficiency pot ent ials in a creat ive w ay and fost er urban energy product ion. This im plies enabling t he exist ing infrast ruct ure t o produce energy, generat e energy across urban areas and de-velop new m eans of st orage. Effort s m ust also be m ade t o m ake a closer connect ion be-t ween clim abe-t e and energy concepbe-t s of urban developm enbe-t and urban developm enbe-t plan-ning and urban regenerat ion. Aft er am endm ent , t he Federal Building Code ( of Germ any) would for exam ple provide good opt ions.
( 35) Pilot proj ect s are needed t o im plem ent urban developm ent plans. They experim ent new approaches and show how sust ainable developm ent can be arranged. Their findings m ust be quickly and ext ensively im plem ent ed. I n parallel, qu a lit y a ssu r in g m e t h ods a n d pr oce du r e s need t o be conduct ed, for exam ple t hrough planning workshops, com -pet it ions and discursive processes. Such m et hods also m ake t he est ablishm ent of local, proj ect - based alliances easier.
ec-t ion and m anagem enec-t of ec-t he clim aec-t e consequence. Goal orienec-t aec-t ion, ec-t echnological open-ness and int egrat ed neighbourhood approaches t o energy supply and building renovat ion m ust rem ain t he m ain crit eria w hen designing program m es. The privat e banking sect or is also invit ed t o be m ore involved in t he financing of t he energy t ransit ion as a societ al responsibilit y. Com pet it ions are effect ive m eans t o decide of funding for t he best ideas in ecological urban developm ent and cooperat ion in t he neighbourhood, t he cit y and region. A sust ainable financing m ust be based on life cycle assessm ent s. Local aut horit ies face m aj or challenges in t he financial and infrast ruct ure m anagem ent as w ell as in t he real est at e policy.
( 37) The need for energy policy t ransform at ion and environm ent al developm ent of cit ies and regions m ust be act ively prom ot ed and advert ised. The opport unit ies for wide cit i-zens’ pa r t icipa t ion and co- decision w it h cit izens are essent ial t o a successful out com e. I t is im port ant t o raise public aw areness regarding it s responsibilit y, using few resources and an int elligent use of urban space. New pot ent ials and local know ledge for a sust ain-able cit y can subsequent ly be act ivat ed. Clear agreem ent s and rules help creat e explicit responsibilit ies and regulat e in decision- m aking pow ers in part icipat ion.
( 38) Public invest m ent s in urban infrast ruct ure are essent ial t o prom ot e a sust ainable building and urban developm ent . European St ruct ural Funds should be increased wit h regards t o t he support of t he urban dim ension. Aft er decades of successful u r ba n de -v e lopm e n t pr om ot ion pr ogr a m m e, Germ any has developed a powerful inst rum ent w hich, despit e changing condit ions, also need t o act ively support t he pat h t owards sus-t ainable cisus-t ies. The federal level, Länder and local ausus-t horisus-t ies have achieved sus-t his in close cooperat ion. I n t he fut ure, t he federal level should t ake m ore responsibilit y for m odel-based urban developm ent proj ect s relevant at nat ional level.
I V . Ca ll for colle ct ive a ct ion
( 39) W e ca ll u pon t hose r e sponsible in cit ie s, r e gions, st a t e s a n d in t e r na t iona l or ga n isa t ion s a s w e ll a s a ssocia t ion s, busin e sse s a n d in it ia t ive s t o un de r t a k e t h e ir ow n pr ogr a m m e s a nd pr oj e ct s t o fost e r a su st a ina ble u r ba n de ve lopm e n t t a k ing in t o a ccoun t t h e cu lt u r a l, socia l, e con om ic a nd e nvir onm e n t a l dim e n sion s of cit ie s.
( 40) A first st ep has been m ade. A sense of opt im ism can be felt t hroughout all social groups. The different social groups m ust cooperat e as a llia n ce s and part nerships t o achieve t he com m on obj ect ives for sust ainable cit ies. I t is im port ant t o coordinat e t hese alliances at all levels of act ion – as in Germ any wit h t he Nat ional Urban Developm ent Policy w hich is already a success. This requires a nat ional and int ernat ional exper ience and knowledge t ransfer.
( 41) Polit ica l in st it u t ion s should provide t he legal fram ew ork for a sust ainable urban renew al including t he im plem ent at ion of t he energy t ransit ion and init iat ing broad- based alliances for a sust ainable cit y. This requires a disposit ion for an ext ensive public dia-logue: act ors from all sect ors are already looking for ideas and proj ect s as well as set t ing prior it ies, and are not only w illing t o be involved in t heir im plem ent at ion t hrough t rans-parent procedures but wish t o becom e act ive creat ors.
( 43) EU I nst it u t ion s a n d ot he r in t e r na t iona l or ga n isa t ion s should focus and sup-port int egrat ed and sust ainable urban developm ent m ore t han t hey have in t he past and t ake int o account all relevant policy areas. This requires a cross- sect oral and place- based approach.
( 44) Econom ic, pr iv a t e se ct or a n d t r a de un ion s should deal m ore w it h t he condit ions and opt ions for sust ainable building and urban developm ent . The econom y m ust t ake responsibilit y for t he im plem ent at ion of t he energy t ransit ion at m unicipal level.
( 45) Edu ca t ion a n d scie n ce should engage m ore int ensively in a crit ical and const ruc-t ive dialogue on ruc-t he susruc-t ainable ciruc-t y. Universiruc-t ies and research insruc-t iruc-t uruc-t ions as w ell as schools should dem onst rat e a special effort in t heir com m it m ent and endorse a m ore advisory role, provide plat form s for public dialogue and spread t o t he public t he know l-edge acquired. Vocat ional and furt her educat ion and t raining should be int ensified.
( 46) Pr om ot e r s a nd ow n e r s as well as pla n n e r s a nd e x pe r t s should m ake t he con-cept of a sust ainable cit y t he core of t heir work. They should not underest im at e t he growing awareness of necessary changes and should act ively advocat e for change. I nt e-grat ed and holist ic planning approaches, life- cycle- or ient ed plans and const ruct ion are a t op priorit y.
( 47) Cit ize n s from all social groups should com m it t hem selves m ore and m ore t o t he com m on good – in t he social as w ell as in t he individual sense. This m eans not only t heir st reet s or neighbourhoods, but also t he ent ire cit y and region. The aim is t o support t he t radit ional form of volunt eering wherever is possible, as well as t hrough a public recogni-t ion of irecogni-t s ourecogni-t srecogni-t anding achievem enrecogni-t s. I recogni-t is also im porrecogni-t anrecogni-t recogni-t o enable new proj ecrecogni-t - based and t em porary form s of civic engagem ent .
( 48) M e dia should address m ore issues of sust ainable urban developm ent in t heir re-port ing and responsibly rere-port on t he cult ural, social, econom ic and environm ent al di-m ensions so as t o expose t he discourse on t hese cent ral issues in t he public realdi-m . Wit h regard t o new part nerships and alliances, t he m edia have a m ult iplier funct ion.
( 49) The n e w socia l m e dia are increasingly im port ant as a plat form for t he discourse on sust ainable urban developm ent and it s fut ure t rends. They can st art and support a variet y of act ivit ies. I nt egrat ing social m edia w ill allow t o dialogue wit h all social groups.
