Urban Renewal project ‘Ledeberg leeft’

Citizen involvement

6 november 2009

Background

GHENT

General facts and figures

• Overall surface: 15.643 ha• Population: 239.541 (2009)

- Growth/Increase +2000 since 2008 (+0,84%)

- Ranking second to Antwerp, both in Flanders and in Belgium

- Slight female predominance (51,06%)

- 22.254 immigrants (9%)

General facts and figures

• Originated at the confluence (“Ganda”) of the rivers Scheldt and Lys

• Currently situated at the European crossroads of E40 (London-Istanbul) and E17 (Lisbon-Stockholm) motorways, the centre of Europe

General facts and figures

• Ghent-Sint-Pieters railway station: most importantpassenger station of Flanders, international and regional gateway

• Water: port, canal Ghent-Terneuzen, connection with Western Scheldt and North Sea (accessible for ships up to 80,000 tons)

General facts and figures

City of Ghent administration:

4.813 collaborators (2008)- 34% technicians- 11% safety personnel (Fire Department)- 55% administration employees(not included: 1.794 Education Department

1.183 Local Police)

48,41% men / 51,59% women145 locations in Ghent, 450 buildings

General facts and figures

City of Ghent administration:

• Approx. 80 services (grouped into) 12 departments

• Managementteam: Heads of Department(incl. Chief of Police & Fire Departement) + city manager & deputy city manager

- Co-ordination- Communication- Advice (to Mayor & deputies)

Organisation Chart

City Council

Mayor

City Manager

Managementteam

Fin. Department

Dep.Welfare

Autonomousenterprises

Inter-municipal

Co-operation

AldermenMunicipal

npo’s

Ombudswoman

City Collector

Office of the City Manager

Human ResourcesDep.

Dep. FacilityManagement

Dep.Culture

Environ-mental

and Health Dep.

Dep.Education

Dep.City planing and mobility

Dep.City

promotionand

sports

Dep.Employment

andeconomy

Fire-Dept.

Police

Dep.Staff

Services

Background

• The municipality of Ghent wants to attune and achieve its policybased on the desires, concerns and difficulties of its citizens

Basic idea:• participation only succeeds if people are being well informed

• territory-based operations facilitates working procedures to suit the needs of the district

Community based planning: background

Community based planning has a history:

- ‘Interactive policy’- starting in the 1970s with advisory councils and hearings- evolving towards community based planning in the 1990s

- ‘Urban Organisation’ is continuously moving. Since 1995 the city of Ghent realized:

- a new departmental structure- project-based operation: to avoid ad hoc solutions- community based planning

Community based planning:background

A result of this evolution:

Position of community based planning within the organisation:

• Ressorting directly under the mayor, while urban renewal is the authority of a deputy mayor

• Horizontal position throughout the whole organisation: enhancesco-operation between city departments and neighbourhoodorganisations and residents

• Profile of community based planner: link between the citizens and the policy-makers (present in the district and on the level of the policy-makers)

• Political mandate to be the go-between

= boundary conditions to create an optimal environment forparticipation of citizens

Main objectives of community based planning

• offering opportunities to participate in municipal policy

• explain why certain measures are being taken

Creating involvement at a direct living environmentallevel by being present in the district, by visiting localorganisations, by organizing debates between the policy-makers and citizens, etc

Urban Renewal project ‘Ledeberg leeft’: redevelopment of an entirelocal district: an example

An integrated approach based on three cornerstones: linked on a horizontal and vertical level

• Spatial cornerstone: e.g.: infrastructure, public domain

• Social – economic cornerstone: e.g.: stimulate employmentopportunities

• Social – cultural cornerstone: e.g.: eliminate hidden conditions of poverty and loneliness, exchange between social-cultural organizations

Approach: urban development

The urban development was tackled first:

• four external urban development study bureaus were assigned

• core team for daily monitoring:

•Urban Development officer

• cabinet staff member

• staff department representative

Approach: organizational structure

counselling group with

Task: carry out the project, follow up, advice the steering group = advisoryComposition: core members + variabel members: expert municipal officers

brainstorming group

Task: feedback and advice to the steering group + counselling group = advisoryComposition: inhabitants ans local organisations from the district

Steering group

Task: take decisionsComposition: all parties involved, the competent Deputy mayors

and the Heads of Department

Official level

Resident level

Politicallevel

Urban development: Implementation

2 major implementation milestones:

• members of brainstorming group are not specifically trained to interpret a floor plan, procedures, etc.

Customised methods to extend the involvement and empathy

• conversing the vision of the urban development aspect to a broadaudience

Implementation: the brainstorming group

• a dozen consultations in the evening or during the weekend (opportune moment is crucial)

• composition:

• approximately 50 members with variable attendance between 20-35 people

• selection of members based on open call, advertisements in localnewspapers, etc.

• to determine the composition we looked at the plan range:• as regards to geographic level and• for each target group

Implementation: the brainstorming group

• these members became trusted representatives of their network, neighbours, etc. :

“our ambassadors” = result of the process: came spontaniously

Implementation: the brainstorming group

Methods/methodologies:

• going on the binch with a camera: practical exercise in the scope ofthe image quality plan

• replica exercise: street on a scale model with mobile blocks

• writing poems in the scope of redesigning a central square

• the correct baseline and slogan were selected immediately afterestablishing the vision, the brainstorming group contributed in takingoptions and rendering advice.

Implementation: the brainstorming group

Methods/methodologies:

• The variety of methodologies is crucial. Every member should feelconcerned

• also children were involved in our preliminaries

Implementation: conversing a visionto a broad audience

•co-operation with 2 study bureaus: • lay-out and newsletter• exhibition

• the vision was conversed into 6 objectives each receiving their propercolour and icon: ‘the six destined for Ledeberg’

More and more accessible green, better living quality, better and more active service delivery, smoother and safer traffic, more space for meeting people

Implementation: conversing a visionto a broad audience

Implementation: conversing a visionto a broad audience

Implementation: conversing a visionto a broad audience

• indoor exhibition: current state of affairs in Ledeberg and the plans forthe future

• outdoor exhibition:

• specifically developed for people who want to pay a local visit

• walking tour along 14 different locations• all by yourself or a guided tour

• children allowed

• Theme tours with duo guide

Implementation: conversing a visionto a broad audience

• Introduction to the exhibition and starting signal:

• each citizen of Ledeberg received invitation for the opening reception

• short films• highlighting local employees and their experience withLedeberg

• the movies are shown in local shops

• one contact person for the entire project

• during the communication process possibility to give smalladjustments

What is innovative?

• To collaborate with members of the brainstorming group who act asambassadors of the project

• theme tours: owing to the wide offer of interests, more inhabitants arebeing attracted

• Duo guide: tours with urban development expert and inhabitant

• each inhabitant of Ledeberg received an invitation for the openingreception

• teaser movies

Widely known

• The urban renewal project ‘Ledeberg leeft’ is well known

• people are very well informed about the project

• our task to provide the correct information

• logo of ‘Ledeberg leeft’ is often asked for by local organisations to usefor the promotion and communication of their activities = support

• the strong motivation of the staff members

• co-operation of services beyond the departments

• co-operation between officials and inhabitants: reinforces commitment

• numbers of visitors to the exhibition: 569

• participants to the guided tours: 448

Quick wins

Long-term results

• policy-related communication, participation and involvement coupled to the urban renewal project, receive a lot of attention in the localpolicy

• new methodologies have been used, evaluated and adjusted

• other urban renewal projects have been initiated

• our experiences were transmitted and adjusted with new information

questions?

Contact: Nathalie DesmetKeizer Karelstraat 1 – 9000 GentTel.: 09 266 82 53E-mail: nathalie.desmet@gent.be