{"id":28727,"date":"2020-12-29T17:08:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-29T17:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=28727"},"modified":"2020-12-29T17:08:33","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T17:08:33","slug":"urbact-warmly-welcomes-the-new-leipzig-charter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=28727","title":{"rendered":"URBACT warmly welcomes the New Leipzig Charter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union has delivered on its promise to renew the EU\u2019s principles of sustainable European cities through a New Leipzig Charter (NLC), adopted on 30 November 2020, which updates the principles of the original and groundbreaking Leipzig Charter of 2007.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 important political declaration for the future of urban policy in the EU\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00a0\u2026 core messages\u2026 need to promote integrated and sustainable urban development\u2026 prioritising sustainability\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

URBACT writes:<\/p>\n

In this article, we examine some of the key elements of the New Leipzig Charter and the way in which URBACT \u2013 along with other partners \u2013 was able to contribute its experience, expertise and the voice of Europe\u2019s cities into the updating of this important political declaration for the future of urban policy in the EU.<\/p>\n

Why renew the original Leipzig Charter?<\/h2>\n

The core messages of the original Leipzig Charter around the need to promote integrated and sustainable urban development have been inspiring urban policy in Europe since they were adopted in 2007. Whilst these principles remain as valid as ever, the context in which they are implemented has been changing rapidly.<\/p>\n

Major global trends are directly impacting towns and cities across Europe, threatening to increase disparities in our societies. The NLC identifies \u201cclimate change, the loss of biodiversity, resource scarcity, migration movements, demographic change, pandemics and rapidly changing economies\u201d as well as the \u201cdigital technologies\u201d which are offering both benefits and challenges as they \u201cdrastically transform\u201d our societies.<\/p>\n

The Covid pandemic has obviously been a major disruptor in 2020, but the\u00a0view of the German Presidency<\/a>\u00a0has been that this shock has only reinforced the urgency of the foreseen principles for helping cities to become more resilient and adaptive to sudden changes. Social distancing will (hopefully) not be around for the next decade, but the need for\u00a0integrated<\/a>,\u00a0participatory<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0place-based<\/a>\u00a0approaches to developing urban resilience and quality of life will be.<\/p>\n

The overarching political context of Europe\u2019s urban policies is also increasingly prioritising\u00a0sustainability<\/a>, including the European Commission\u2019s\u00a0Green Deal<\/a>, which aims to make Europe the world\u2019s first climate-neutral continent, the Paris Agreement, the\u00a0New Urban Agenda<\/a>\u00a0of the United Nations, and the UN\u2019s\u00a0SDG 11<\/a>\u00a0on making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.<\/p>\n

In this broad context, the New Leipzig Charter has a clear and practical aim: to provide \u201ca policy framework to envision and realise these European and global agreements at the urban scale\u201d in the EU.<\/p>\n

The transformative power of cities<\/h2>\n

A key feature of the\u00a0New Leipzig Charter<\/a>\u00a0is that it promotes the idea of urban policy for the common good. It emphasises \u201cthe transformative power of cities\u201d to respond to the modern-day challenges facing cities in each of their social, environmental and economic dimensions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The NLC thus highlights three forms of the transformative city which can be harnessed in Europe to enhance people\u2019s quality of life:<\/p>\n