Cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation

The projects described have all experienced problems with sectoral boundaries. Success stories are few and far between and there are unfortunately many fiascos. It seems that there is a general conflict between the physical, area-based approaches, represented for example by engineering departments, and the social, individual-based approaches, represented for example by social services departments.

Cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation does not just occur by itself. An extra effort is needed if one really wants to work holistically and cross-sectorally.

The interdisciplinary challenge must be taken seriously. Otherwise, the projects lose their credibility, and the residents lose interest. When residents meet a representative from the local administration, most of them feel that they are meeting someone from "the council" and not someone from one department or another. It is therefore important to establish an interdepartmental committee and a clear path to the local authority. In Castlemilk in Scotland, the assessment shows very clearly that the very fact that the local authority showed up with 12 representatives has put the brakes on the development of the partnership, whereas, in Deventer and Nijmegen in the Netherlands, a single official has been appointed as contact person for the local area, and that has been successful.

From the experience gained, it is clear that interdepartmental and interdisciplinary cooperation takes time and resources - and that it calls for a real change of attitude among the participating parties.

Recommendations:

• The complex problems of local areas can only be solved in interdisciplinary teams.
• It should be clear what powers the representatives of the individual departments have.
• The cooperation must be formalised. The local authority must send out a clear message across departments, and the residents must be offered a clear route to the local authority.
• Joint seminars, supplementary training and similar are recommended, but
• Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation can only be learnt in one way - by practising it. In the start-up phase, it is difficult and time-consuming, but in time, real synergetic effects can be achieved.

Training in interdisciplinary cooperation already given at university

At the University of Illinois in Chicago, the students are taught across subject boundaries. The students, who come from different faculties, learn to solve whole and complicated problems raised by the local areas' residents.

The instructors and students are a mixture of architects, doctors, economists, researchers in women's issues, teachers, social workers, designers, computer scientists, chemists and town planners.

The individual project teams are composed to suit the assignments. At the present time, 25 different projects are in progress. The following examples give an idea of the range:

Creation of Image base. A team is creating an image base of the whole of Chicago - which will be publicly accessible on the World Wide Web. The base contains geographical, visual, statistical and descriptive data on the city's districts

Design of commercial strategies for Pilsen. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Pilsen area. Recommendations concerning physical restoration of the area's shopping streets.

Participation in health projects for Mexican families. Fundraising and studies in connection with the establishment of a health centre in disused business premises.

EXPO as catalyst for cross-sectoral cooperation

The city of Hannover is the venue of the world exhibition EXPO 2000. Plagwitz is one of the many projects around the world that will supplement the actual exhibition area, presenting, through the urban regeneration process, local solutions within the field: Man-Nature-Technology.

The EXPO area in Plagwitz covers about 40 ha and overlaps the urban regeneration area. EXPO in Plagwitz does not have its own budget but is about optimising existing resources. EXPO has got different municipal departments to talk together and to focus their action. A special management office created for EXPO is marketing the area. In addition, EXPO is acting as a catalyst for the urban regeneration process, and it is Amt für Stadsanierung und Wohnungsbauförderung (Authority for Urban Regeneration and Subsidised Housing) that is responsible for the EXPO activities. Through these activities, a development is in progress that is helping to break down the usual departmental boundaries.

Relationship between labour market policy and urban regeneration

With the Marxloh project it has been possible to link labour market policy, structural policy and urban regeneration. The project is based on close cooperation between the two economically responsible organisations EGM Entwick lungsgeselIschaft Marxloh and Stadtteilprojekt Marxloh.

The former is an architectural and planning unit working within urban regeneration and economic development of this area.

The latter is a decentralised section of the local authority and is responsible for employment and educational programmes for young long-term unemployed people. Unemployed residents from the area have been given employment on Stadtteilprojekt Marxloh, working as tradesmen or within the social area.

Municipal representative in the local areas

In Deventer a municipal representative has been appointed as liaison officer for each of the city's five local areas (each of which have about 15,000 inhabitants). His or her prime task is to guide the projects successfully through the municipal system and promote the interdisciplinary solution models. In the daily work, the liaison officer cooperates with a local representative appointed by the residents.

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