The document discusses socio-spatial polarization trends in Europe, highlighting increasing income inequality, job restructuring, and growing segregation in affluent and impoverished neighborhoods. Various national programs and lessons learned are examined alongside European urban policy developments aimed at fostering integrated urban development. Additionally, it details the achievements of the URBACT program, which promotes sustainable urban practices through collaboration among cities.

1. Socio-spatial polarization in Europe
Summer University
CFDU (Conseil Français des Urbanistes / French Council of Town Planners)
Amiens August 2012

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› SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION: TRENDS in EUROPE
› NATIONAL PROGRAMMES in EUROPE: WHAT ARE THE
LESSONS?
› EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY
› THE URBACT PROGRAMME ACHIEVEMENTS

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SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION: TRENDS in
EUROPE
SOCIAL POLARIZATION ON THE INCREASE
› Income equality is increasing rapidly
› Work activities and jobs going through complete
restructuring
› There is more and more immigration

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SOCIO-SPATIAL SEGREGATION IS INCREASING
› The most affluent increasingly keep together:
gentrification, gated communities, urban sprawl
› Impoverished neighbourhoods are becoming
increasingly impoverished
› Access to jobs and services and social mobility are more
difficult in the most impoverished neighbourhoods
SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION:
TRENDS in EUROPE

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SOCIO-SPATIAL POLARIZATION:
TRENDS in EUROPE
WIDELY VARYING CONTEXTS
› In 2011 unemployment ranged from 2.5% in the Salzburg
and Tyrol regions (Austria) to 30.4% in Andalusia (Spain)
and for the 15-24 age group it ranged from 4.3% for
Tübingen (Germany) to 54.4% for Andalusia.
› Various different urban forms and histories: housing
blocks in socialist countries, French ZUPs (priority
development areas) etc.
› Minorities and citizenship: the Rom population in Eastern
countries, English communitarianism, etc.
› National contexts: social benefits, housing policy,
governance and government

6. NATIONAL PROGRAMMES in EUROPE:
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?
› Few states have an urban policy : Germany ( social city ),ʺ ʺ ʺ ʺ
England (New Deal for Communities), Netherlands ( 40
Neighbourhoods Programme), … income inequality is rising
rapidly
› Discussion about carrying on with these neighbourhood
targeted programmes: in Germany, in France
› Very provisional lessons:
- physical improvements in neighbourhoods seen
positively even if other social indicators have not improved
- combine mobilization of public policies at city level
(housing, employment, mobility, and so on) with those at
neighbourhood level
- analyse the path neighbourhoods follow
- assessment is rarely carried out but very necessary
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EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY
BACKGROUND
› Urban planning is a competence of the States
› European Acquis Urbain :ʺ ʺ
- URBAN (1990-2002) community initiative,
integrated urban policyʺ ʺ
- 2007 Leipzig Charter: the States agree about a
concept of integrated urban development
› 2007 Lisbon Treaty: the goal of territorial cohesion is
added to the goals of social and economic cohesion
› 2007-2014: Integration into common law of the integrated
and sustainable urban development approach

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EUROPEAN URBAN POLICY
2014-2020 GUIDELINES
› European draft regulations for cohesion policy published on 4th
October 2011
› EU 2020 strategy taken into account: an intelligent, holistic and
sustainable Europe
› Strengthening the territorial and urban dimension
› New mechanisms and instruments for sustainable and
integrated urban development:
- 5% of the ERDF national share for urban use
- Overall delegation of budget monies to cities as part of integrated
territorial investments
- Local development led by local players: action programme through a
local action group
- 0.2% of the ERDF European budget monies for innovatory work
- European urban platform structured around the URBACT programme

9. THE URBACT PROGRAMME ACHIEVEMENTS
› European territorial cooperation programme
› Promotion of sustainable urban development based on exchanging and
capitalizing on experience in cities
› Since 2007: 56 thematic projects bringing together over 400 cities
› An URBACT method to ensure exchanges have local impact :ʺ ʺ
transnational exchanges, local support groups, local action plans
› For 2012, 6 themes promoting exchange of information, including
divided citiesʺ ʺ
› URBACT projects on this theme:
CO-NET (Berlin as leader with Vaulx en Velin): social cohesion in
disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Reg Gov (Duisburg as leader): regional/city/neighbourhood cooperation for
urban renovation.
SUITE (Santiago de Compostela with Nantes and Rennes metropolis):
social housing as a tool for social inclusion.
› For 2012, 6 themes promoting exchange of information, including
« divided cities » see above?
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URBACT project partner cities

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Find out more about URBACT project outcomes
›Subscribe to the URBACT Newsletter
›Join us on and
›And also on www.ville.gouv.fr

12. e.moulin@urbact.eu
www.urbact.eu