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LEIPZIG CHARTER on Sustainable European Cities
The "LEIPZIG CHARTER on Sustainable European Cities" is a Member States document,
elaborated by a broad and transparent participation of the European Stakeholders. Knowing
the challenges and chances and the different historically, economically, socially and
environmentally backgrounds of the European Cities the Member States' ministers
responsible for Urban Development agree upon common principles and strategies for urban
development policy. The Ministers commit themselves to support the development of
integrated urban development strategies and the related governance for their implementation
and, to this end, establish any necessary framework at national level.
We declare:
1. We, the ministers responsible for urban development in the member states of the
European Union, consider the European cities which have evolved in the course
of history to be valuable and irreplaceable economic, social and cultural assets.
2. With the objective of protecting, strengthening and promoting our cities, we
strongly support the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, building on the Lille
Action Programme, the Rotterdam Urban Acquis and the Bristol Accord. In doing
so, all three dimensions of sustainable development, that is economic prosperity,
social balance and consideration of environmental aspects, as well as institutional
capacity must be considered simultaneously and in a balanced way.
3. Our cities possess unique cultural and architectural qualities, strong forces of
social inclusion and exceptional possibilities for economic development. They are
centres of knowledge and sources of growth and innovation. At the same time,
however, demographic problems, social inequity, exclusion and environmental
problems can also be found in our cities. In the long run, cities cannot fulfil their
function as engines of social progress and economic growth as described in the
Lisbon Strategy unless we succeed in maintaining the social balance within and
among cities, protecting their cultural diversity and establishing high quality in the
fields of design, architecture and environment.
4. We increasingly need integrated strategies and coordinated action by all persons
and institutions involved in the urban development process which reach beyond
the boundaries of individual cities and communities. All levels of government -
local, regional, national, European level- have a proper responsibility towards the
future of our cities. To make this multi-level government really effective, we must
improve the coordination of the sectoral policy areas and develop a new sense of
responsibility for integrated urban development policy. We need a better
coordination of policies between the local, regional, national and European levels.
We must also ensure that those working to deliver these policies at all levels
acquire the generic and cross-occupational skills and knowledge needed to build
sustainable cities and communities.
5. We strongly welcome the statements and the recommendations set out in the
Territorial Agenda for the European Union and the European Charter "Network
Vital Cities". We further recognize the importance of the Aalborg Commitments as
a valuable contribution to strategic and coordinated action at a local level.
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6. We recommend:
7. To make greater use of the integrated urban development policy
approaches
8. For us, integrated urban development policy means simultaneous and fair
consideration of the concerns and interests which are of relevance in urban
development. The preparation of integrated urban development policy represent a
process in which the coordination of key areas of urban policy, the involvement of
sectors, stakeholders and public and the decisions about future development in
terms space, subject matter and time are taking place. Integrated urban
development policy is a key prerequisite for implementing the EU Sustainable
Development Strategy. Its implementation is a task of a European dimension, but
that must consider local specificities and take into consideration the subsidiary
principle.
9. The reconciliation of interests facilitated by an integrated urban development
policy forms a viable basis for a consensus between the state, regions, cities,
citizens and economic actors. By pooling knowledge and financial resources, the
effectiveness of scarce public funds will be enhanced. In this way public and
private investments should be better coordinated with each other. Integrated
urban development policy involves actors external to the administration and
enables the citizens to play an active role in shaping their immediate living
environment. At the same time, these measures could provide more planning and
investment certainty.
10. We recommend that European cities consider developing integrated urban
development programmes for the city as a whole. These implementation-oriented
planning tools should
11. describe the strengths and the weaknesses of cities and neighbourhoods based
upon an analysis of the current situation
12. define consistent development objectives for the urban area and develop a vision
for the city,
13. coordinate the different neighbourhood, sectoral and technical plans and policies
with each other and ensure that the planned investments will help to promote a
well-balanced development of the urban area,
14. focus and coordinate the use of funds by public and private sector players in
terms of space.
15. be coordinated at local and city-regional level and involve the citizens and the
agents that can contribute to shape the future economic, social and environmental
quality of territories. This also includes strengthening the city-regional
coordination. We must stop considering urban development policy issues and
decisions in an isolated manner. Our cities should be pillars of city-regional
development and assume responsibility for territorial cohesion. In order to do so,
our cities must network more closely with each other at European level. Only by
doing so, partnership between cities and rural areas on an equal partnership
basis as well as between small-, medium-sized and large towns and cities within
city-regions and metropolitan regions can be achieved.
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16. Integrated urban development policies provide us with a set of instruments which
have already proved their worth in numerous European cities in developing
modern, cooperative and effective governance structures and are indispensable
for improving the competitiveness of European cities. They facilitate an
anticipatory coordination of settlement, economic and infrastructure development
by taking account, among others, of the existing impacts of aging and migration
trends and energy-policy conditions.
17. Within the scope of an integrated urban development policy, we consider the
following strategies for action to be of crucial importance for strengthening the
competitiveness of European cities:
18. Creating and ensuring high-quality public spaces
19. The quality of public spaces, urban cultural landscapes and of architecture and
urban development play an important role for the living conditions of the urban
population. As soft locational factors, they further constitute important locational
factors for knowledge industry businesses, a qualified and creative workforce and
for tourism. Therefore, the interaction of architecture, infrastructure planning and
urban planning must be intensified in order to create attractive, user-oriented
public spaces and achieve a high standard in terms of building culture. The
strategy of mixing employment, living, education, supply and recreational use in
urban neighbourhoods has proved to be especially sustainable. However, the
building culture can't be limited to public spaces ­ though it is obvious that the city
and the state can exercise intensive influence on them ­, building culture is a
need for the whole city and its neighbourhood. Therefore it is also necessary
taking into account securing the cultural heritage through preserving historical
buildings, their urban and architectural values.
20. Creating and ensuring functional and well-designed urban spaces and
infrastructures is a task which must be tackled jointly by the state, regional and
the local authorities, but also by citizens and businesses.
21. Modernizing infrastructure networks and improving energy efficiency
22. Sustainable, accessible and affordable urban transport system, including traffic
management and interlinking transport modes, establishing modern public
transport, cycling and walking infrastructure, should make an important
contribution to the quality of living as well as to locational and environmental
quality. Urban transport must be reconciled with the different land-use
requirements of housing, work areas, the environment and public spaces.
23. Technical infrastructure, especially water supply, waste-water treatment and other
supply lines, must be improved at an early stage and adapted to changing needs
in order to meet future requirements for high quality urban living.
24. Cities must contribute to ensuring and enhancing its residents' quality of life and
its attractiveness as a business location by making use of sophisticated
information and communications technologies in the fields of education,
employment, social services, health, safety, security and eGovernment.
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25. Energy efficiency of existing and new buildings, an economical use of natural
resources and economic efficiency during operation are key prerequisites for a
sustainable public utility service and transport infrastructure. An important basis
for efficient use of resources is a compact settlement structure, which can be
achieved by good spatial planning, preventing the urban sprawl. This involves a
strong will of land supply and speculation's control. Optimized and efficient
infrastructure networks and energy efficient buildings will lower the locational
costs for businesses and residents.
26. Our cities must also be able to adjust to the threat posed by global climate
change. Well designed and planned urban development can provide a low carbon
way of accommodating growth, improve environmental quality and reduce carbon
emissions. Cities can achieve these outcomes through innovative mitigation
measures which in turn aid the development of new industry and low carbon
business.
27. Proactive innovation and educational policies
28. Cities are places where a lot of knowledge is created and also imparted. The full
exploitation of a city's knowledge potential depends on the quality of its pre-school
and school education, on the transfer opportunities provided within the education
and training systems, as well as by social and cultural networks, the opportunities
for lifelong learning, the excellence of its universities and non-university research
institutes and on the transfer network between industry, businesses and the
scientific community.
29. Integrated urban development policy can contribute to improving these factors, for
example by bringing the stakeholders together, by supporting networks and
optimizing locational structures. Integrated urban development promotes social
and intercultural dialogue.
30. Integrated urban development strategies, cooperative urban development
management and good governance can contribute towards a purposeful use of
the potential of European cities particularly with regard to competitiveness and
growth, as well as to reducing disparities within and among neighbourhoods. They
provide the citizens with an opportunity for social and democratic participation.
31. That special attention is paid to deprived neighbourhoods within the
context of the city as a whole.
32. Within one city, considerable differences may exist in terms of economic and
social opportunities in the individual city areas, but also in terms of the varying
quality of the environment. In addition, the social distinctions and the differences
in economic development are often continuing to increase which contributes to
destabilization in cities. Therefore safety is also an important field of action of
integrated urban development policy.
33. We must offer prospects and support as well as preventive measures to the
residents in urban neighbourhoods which are threatened by physical deterioration
and social exclusion or are disadvantaged in economic, social and environmental
terms as well as in term of their physical infrastructure.
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Here we need an active involvement of the residents and a better dialogue
between the political representatives, the residents and the economic actors in
order to find the best solution for each deprived urban area.
34. Against this background, we consider the following strategies for action,
embedded in an integrated urban development policy, to be of crucial importance
for deprived urban neighbourhoods:
35. Pursuing strategies for upgrading the physical environment
36. Economic activity and investments on one hand and high-quality urban structures,
a sound built environment and a modern and efficient infrastructure on the other
hand are closely interlinked. For this reason, it is necessary to improve existing
building stock in deprived neighbourhoods with regard to their design, physical
conditions and energy efficiency. Improvements in housing standards in new
buildings as well as in existing large prefabricated buildings bear the biggest
potential for increasing energy efficiency within the EU and thereby combating
climate change. High quality of architecture, urban development and public
spaces as well as healthy and affordable housings can strengthen people's
identification with their neighbourhoods and thus make these neighbourhoods
more attractive for both young and old people.
37. In order to increase the sustainability of investments into upgrading the physical
environment, they must be embedded in a long-term development strategy which
also includes, inter alia, the public and private follow-up investments.
38. Strengthening the local economy and local labour market policy
39. Measures to secure the economic stabilisation of deprived neighbourhoods must
also exploit economic forces inherent in the neighbourhood themselves. In this
context, labour market and economic policies which are tailored to the needs of
the individual neighbourhoods will be the appropriate instruments. The objective is
to create and secure jobs and to facilitate the start-up of new businesses. In
particular, access opportunities to local labour markets must be improved by
offering demand-oriented training. Increased use must also be made of the
employment and training opportunities in the ethnic economy.
40. It is the task of the European Union, the Member States and the cities to create
better conditions and instruments to strengthen the local economies and thus the
local labour markets.
41. Proactive education and training policies for children and young people
42. A crucial starting point for improving the situation in deprived neighbourhoods is
the improvement of the education and training situation in the local community in
conjunction with proactive policies focused on children and young people.
43. More possibilities for education and training must be provided and improved in
disadvantaged neighbourhoods which are geared to the needs of, and address
deficiencies in provision for children and young people living there.
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By means of a policy focus on children and young people which is tailored to the
social area they live in, we must contribute to improving the prospects of the
children and young people living in deprived neighbourhoods to participate and
realize their ambitions and to ensure equal opportunities on a long-term basis.
44. Promotion of efficient and affordable urban transport
45. Many deprived neighbourhoods must bear the additional burden of poor transport
connections and environmental influences which reduces the attractiveness of
these areas. The development of an efficient and affordable public transport
system will sustain the citizens right to mobility and accessibility.
46. In order to resolve this problem, transport planning and traffic management in
these areas must increasingly aim to reduce the negative impacts of transport on
the environment and to organise transport in a manner which will better integrate
these neighbourhoods into the city and region as a whole. This will also require an
efficient and affordable public transport system as well as appropriate networks
for pedestrian and cycle traffic.
47. The better we manage to stabilize deprived neighbourhoods economically, to
integrate them socially and to upgrade their physical environment and transport
infrastructure, the better the chances will be that our cities will remain places of
social progress, growth and innovation in the long term.
48. We emphasize that:
49. Our cities need enough scope for action in order to perform local tasks in a
responsible manner. We need a better coordination between all policies and
initiatives of the EU that concern the urban dimension and we would like
legislation at European level to be examined concerning their consequences
closely in the future with a view to obtaining a sustainable urban development
within the framework of the existing institutions and procedures, in particular in
economic and financial regard. Here the practical experience and expertise of the
cities should be used.
50. The principles of urban development policy should be laid down at national level
and the stimuli for innovative solutions should also be created at national level, as
well as at other levels. We need a competition for the best urban development
ideas and instruments.
51. Our cities need a sound financial basis which provides long-term stability.
Therefore, the European structural funds should continue to form an integral part
of public funding based on integrated urban development programmes. The use
of these funds should be focused closely both on the existing difficulties and
potentials and take into consideration the opportunities and difficulties in the
Member States. If not already provided for, the local authorities should develop
the necessary skills and efficiency to implement integrated urban development
policies.
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52. The new EU initiatives, JESSICA and JEREMIE, supporting the establishment of
urban development funds and funds for SME, using financial engineering
instruments to leverage private capital into the implementation of integrated urban
development strategies, provide promising opportunities to enhance the
effectiveness of conventional national and European funding sources.
53. At national level, Government Departments need to recognise more clearly the
importance of cities to delivering national, regional and local ambitions, and the
relevance and impact of their policies upon them. The efforts of different
Departments working on urban issues need to be better aligned and integrated so
they add value to each others work to achieve more than the sum of their parts.
54. We emphasize the importance of systematic and structured exchange of
experience and knowledge in the field of sustainable urban development. A
European platform to pool this exchange more intensively is crucial to support
actors involved in urban development at all levels and in all sectors. We will
continue to promote and intensify the exchange of knowledge and experience
between policy makers, practitioners and researchers at local, regional, national
and European level in the future in order to reinforce the urban dimension of the
EU Sustainable Development Strategy, the Lisbon Strategy and the European
Employment Strategy.
55. We look ahead with confidence.
56. Europe needs strong cities and regions.