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Thematic Reports Aims of regeneration  
   

2.2 Relation between aims at different spatial and political levels

 
   
In all cases the area-related aims follow - more or less - the underlying national, regional or city-wide aims. This is obvious due to the fact that these higher levels set up the legal framework, define the politi­cal strategy for area-related activities and provide both the funding and the guidelines for all local activities - e.g. the European URBAN II in Berlin, the Danish Kvaterløft programme in Copenhagen, the Scottish regeneration programmes in Glasgow, several national laws and regulations in Lisbon, the Federal regeneration Law in Hamburg and the Vilnius Old Town Renewal Strategy approved by the state govern­ment and the City Board.

Regional or municipal levels do interpret and transfer these national frameworks to the regional and local level. This shows clearly that there are strong interdependencies between these political and administrative levels.

Local experience has only very little influence on the definition process at higher levels. Although according to legal regulations in most of the case studies the implementation at the local level can be influenced bottom-up through authorised local offices or mediators, the aim(s) definition processes have nearly no experience in employing bottom-up potentials.

Remaining questions regarding the relation between aims

Are there enough opportunities to integrate local interests and aims, e.g. from the private sector? Are there sufficient instruments or means to include local interests into the top-down decision-making to achieve consensual results and to reflect all interests?

Does the local implementation of the programme lead to a local empowerment, i.e. growth of local democracy or community consolidation, and does it correctly and sufficiently reflect the local situation?

Shouldn't the area-related aims be developed at the local level and then integrated at the higher levels?

The hierarchy of aims and the relations between aims at different spatial and political levels are defined between the national and municipal levels. But aims (needs and interests) of local stakeholders and (potential) private part­ners are reflected in these schemes only if they coincide with the aims politi­cally and administratively defined. Area-related aims are not defined independently.

 

  
   
2_1_Definition of area-related aims    2_3_Conflicting aims at different spatial and political levels  

ENTRUST is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Fifth Framework RTD Programme and contributing to the implementation of the
 Key Action 4; “City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" within the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development thematic programme
Contract n°: EVK4-CT-2001-20007