UCLG USP comments

[barbara.m...@stadt-koeln.de]

Comments by Deputy Mayor Bernd Streitberger Cologne

1. What are the main needs for local authorities to lead a strategic planning process?

The main need is the one for a strategy based on reliable and clear rules. USP has to be more inclusive, participatory and consider the interdependency between sectoral planning and strategic management.

2. How do you consider the concept of Urbanism is changing, integrating other spheres than technical and physical planning, and can this be successful?

Only a holistic view, going beyond the spatial planning, including economic, social and environmental aspects can be a successful recepee for urban planning.

Further more the regional integration is essential, partly in response to obvious regional tasks, partly in response to fgrowing competition between regions on the national and European level.

The regional integraion should take advantage of  it s diversity and strengthen at the same time the regional identity and achieve a clear exterior profile

Colgone is the center of the region and founded with neighbour cities and counties in 1992 the REGIO Köln/Bonn e.V. , a voluntary association .

3. Citizens`participation in Urban strategic planning :

The participation of citizens in Urban strategic is essential, especially regarding the sustainability of planning and design. The relation of the citizen to his city and the shaping of the city has direct effect on the quality of the design and the participation support the identification of the citizens' with their city.

Cologne has launched a participatory budget to open decisions on urban planning to citizens.
Another form of participation is open participation in form of round table discussions or visionary sessions (Lei9tbild2020). It is important to clarify the decision competence. In open participation events desicions can hardly be taken. But in closed citizens participation such as participatory budget, or citizens participation in invited planning dialogues.