Transcript How do we overcome these challenges?

Making cities resilient: Challenges and Issues facing
European Cities
Thursday 5th November 2009
Neil McInroy, Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic
Strategies
What is CLES?
Established 1986
Independent charity. No
commercial sponsor or
government grants
Growing-but will
stay small
Economic
development but
with social fairness
and within limits of
environment
UK, but also work in
Europe and beyond!
20 staff: planners,
geographers, local
government,
environmental
scientists, economists
and french horn
players!
Hybrid; research,
consultancy,
members
What could our cities look like
in 20 years time
The bad: What our cities
COULD be like
Economically
Globalisation creates instability- good bits and bad bits
Fragile city economies
Waves of underemployed and lowly skilled
Socially
Inequality and poverty: Divided cities
Infrastructure (roads, rail, sewers) can’t keep up
Environmentally
Sprawling cities with little green space
Heavily polluted, wasteful and energy poor
Culturally
Lack cohesion between and within communities
Poor investment
The good: What our cities to
SHOULD be like
The good: What our cities
SHOULD be like
Economically
Advanced but mixed industry sectors
An economy that fits the ‘pulse of place’
Mixed skilled workforce
Socially
Socially and economically equal with poverty eradicated
Good infrastructure
High levels of public expenditure
Environmentally
Sustainable
Clean and renewably resourced
Culturally
Home to diverse and cohesive populations
What does the future city game say
about our big global challenges ?
MOST recorded global challenges
Poverty and inequality
Ageing
Energy, Workforce
Climate change, Waste and pollution
Economic Crisis, Overcrowding
Consumption, Urbanisation, Food and famine, Crime
Nationalism and identity, Globalisation
Migration, Natural Disasters, Ecology, Transport
LEAST Recorded global challenges
The immediate challenges
Economical
Sluggish growth or no growth.
22million people unemployed in the EU (10%)
Social
Some 73m people in the EU are ‘poor’ and 2/3rds live in six countries
increases in voter apathy and societal mistrust
36% of the EU’s population are over the age of 50 it will be 50% by 2028
Public sectors cuts in services and funding
Environment
Reached peak oil- Energy prices are increasing
Global temperatures to increase by 1.8 to 4.0 degrees by 2100.
Europe could be generating 45% more waste in 2020 than in 1995
Cultural
Increased climate change induced migration
More debate over whose culture
How do we overcome these
challenges?
The immediate challenges
Economical
Sluggish growth or no growth.
22million people unemployed in the EU (10%)
Social
Some 73m people in the EU are ‘poor’ and 2/3rds live in six countries
increases in voter apathy and societal mistrust
36% of the EU’s population are over the age of 50 it will be 50% by 2028
Public sectors cuts in services and funding
Environment
Reached peak oil- Energy prices are increasing
Global temperatures to increase by 1.8 to 4.0 degrees by 2100.
Europe could be generating 45% more waste in 2020 than in 1995
Cultural
Increased climate change induced migration
More debate over whose culture
How do we overcome these
challenges?
The immediate challenges
Economical
Sluggish growth or no growth.
22million people unemployed in the EU (10%)
Social
Some 73m people in the EU are ‘poor’ and 2/3rds live in six countries
increases in voter apathy and societal mistrust
36% of the EU’s population are over the age of 50 it will be 50% by 2028
Public sectors cuts in services and funding
Environment
Reached peak oil- Energy prices are increasing
Global temperatures to increase by 1.8 to 4.0 degrees by 2100.
Europe could be generating 45% more waste in 2020 than in 1995
Cultural
Increased climate change induced migration
More debate over whose culture
How do we overcome these
challenges?
The immediate challenges
Economical
Sluggish growth or no growth.
22million people unemployed in the EU (10%)
Social
Some 73m people in the EU are ‘poor’ and 2/3rds live in six countries
increases in voter apathy and societal mistrust
36% of the EU’s population are over the age of 50 it will be 50% by 2028
Public sectors cuts in services and funding
Environment
Reached peak oil- Energy prices are increasing
Global temperatures to increase by 1.8 to 4.0 degrees by 2100.
Europe could be generating 45% more waste in 2020 than in 1995
Cultural
Increased climate change induced migration
More debate over whose culture
How do we overcome these
challenges?
A new era of developing good
cities
‘Cities’ - are dynamic
As a ‘geography’ – an area or locality which has
meaning and identity
As a sociological concept –an intersection of points
in a network of social relations
As an economic concept – a market place
The nature of cities is argued and debated it is not
politically neutral
‘Debate’ is what makes cities- good cities
Shaping and Shielding
Economic and environmental instabilities
We need to shape an economic destiny of cities –
which is resilient - which can shape and shield:
works within environmental limits
delivers positive and equitable social and economic
outcomes
withstands
mitigates
economic
shocks,
We need ‘springy’ and ‘spongey’ cities
can
adapt
and
Research Theme
Research Theme
How do we overcome the challenges
and create boingy cities
Openness to
people and
cultures
Diverse
industry
Good
connectivity
Quality of
life and
amenities
Economic justice
and fairness
Empowered
citizens
Broad range
of skills in
the labour
force
Cities which use the
‘pulse’ of place
Good leadership Nurture innovation
and creativity
How do we overcome the challenges:
For CLES- Economics is key
A new way of doing economics
What does a ‘boingy’ city
economy look like.
Enabling economic resilience
A resilient economic place
Creative and economically resilient Place
Place which lacks Economic resilience
Balance between Localised and globalised
economy
Fully globalised and local is weak
Cross sectoral economic connections
Sectoral
Networked business with ‘local’ supply chains
Individualised and poor local supply chain
Innovative and proactive business culture
Business as usual and reactive
Progressive public spending
Spending based on efficiency and the cheapest
Health and wealth generating – torrent down
Generates wealth- trickle down
Strong organic place identity
Identity based on what market wants
Flexible governance
Rigid and hierarchical
Planning for green growth even pockets of no
growth
Growth
How does a boingy economic
city relate to everything else?
What does a ‘boingy’ city look
like.
“Historically,
urban
place succeeded by
being close to the sea,
a natural resource or
social power. Urban
places succeed today
by offering proximity
to people and their
ideas”
Glaeser- four challenges for
Scottish cities (2005).
Centre for Local Economic Strategies
EMAIL. [email protected]
WEB. www.cles.org.uk
PHONE. (0044) 161 236 7036