Urban innovation and employment generation

Eurofound — European Foundation For The Improvement Of Living And Working Conditions

Description

Environmental, social and economic initiatives in European towns and cities
Environment policy and protection of the environment
Working conditions

Sujets

• Classe Town
• Urban planning
• Unemployment
• Urban area
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
• Sciences et techniques

Informations

• Publié par: EUROFOUND-EUROPEAN-FOUNDATION-FOR-THE-IMPROVEMENT-OF-LIVING-AND-WORKING-CONDITIO
• Nombre de lectures: 19
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

European Foundation
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URBAN INNOVATION
AND EMPLOYMENT
GENERATION
Environmental,
Social and Economic
Initiatives in European
Towns and Cities
Loughlinstown House, Shankill,
Co. Dublin, Ireland Paul Lawless is Professor ot Urban and Regional Studies in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social
Research at Sheffield Hallam University. He has written estensive!)' on urban employment problems and
policies.
Karl Dalgleish is a Research Associate in the Centre tor Regional Economic and Social Research. His
main interests are in the areas of urban policy, policy evaluation and urban employment issues.
Geoft Vigar is a Research Associate in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research He has
worked on a range of urban economic issues and is currently examining the impact of infrastructural
investment on business performance. URBAN INNOVATION
AND EMPLOYMENT
GENERATION
Environmental,
Social and Economic
Initiatives in European
Towns and Cities
by
Karl Dalgleish
Paul Lawless
Geoff Vigar
Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research
Sheffield Hallam University
United Kingdom
European Foundation
for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Loughlinstown House, Shankill, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Telex: 30726 EURF El Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, l()l)4
ISBN 92-826-9281-7
© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1994
For rights of translation or reproduction, applications should be made to the Director, European
Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Loughlinslown House,
Shankill, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
Printed in Ireland FOREWORD
The Foundation initiated in early 1993 a project on "Innovations for the improvement of
the Urban Environment". The objectives of the project are: to highlight innovative visions,
practices and actions which will help achieve urban sustainability; to pull together
information on exemplary approaches containing elements of innovative policy; and to
help mobilize the social partners and others to achieve the sustainable city of the twenty-
first century.
The first phase of the project included an overview of innovative projects conducive to
urban sustainability. A European network of young planners was created to identify
appropriate projects in all Member States of the European Union. Seventy-five projects
were selected and are described in the publication "Innovations for the Improvement of
the Urban Environment: A European Overview". Subsequently they were presented to a
European Conference on Urban Innovations, organized by the Foundation in Seville in
October 1993. A report on the conference has been published by the Foundation.
In concluding the first phase of the project in Seville, a new study was initiated on "Urban
Innovations and Generation of Employment" looking into the employment potential of
innovative urban projects. This report is the result ofthat study; it looks into employment
opportunities of all the innovative projects included in the European Overview and other
projects familiar to the authors. The purpose of this publication, is to help reflections on
the white paper on Employment, Growth and Competitiveness at the same time as
informing decision-makers working for the achievement of the sustainable city, a city with
active and creative citizens.
Clive Purkiss Eric Verborgh
Director Deputy Director Vil
PREFACE
As part of its 1993-96 programme of activities the European Foundation for
the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions includes a programme
of work on urban innovations. The first part of this programme involved an
overview of some 75 innovative projects throughout Europe which were
published by the Foundation in 1993: "Innovations for the Improvement of
the Urban Environment: A European Overview".
Using that base material, supplemented by additional information on these
and other projects, this report considers innovative projects within one
increasingly vital theme: employment In particular this report attempts to
identify and to evaluate some of the issues raised by new approaches
towards local employment creation. Throughout the publication an
emphasis is placed on using specific examples to illustrate the potential for
job generation. As such the document should prove of value to policy
makers working at all levels of government, to those involved in the
community, to charitable organisations, and to the private sector. The
authors of the report are Paul Lawless, Director, and Karl Dalgleish and
Geoff Vigar, Research Associates, at the Centre for Regional, Economic
and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom.
Thanks are due to many project managers who willingly provided additional
information and, especially, to Voula Mega at the European Foundation for
her comments and guidance. IX
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Chapter 1: Unemployment the Challenge of the 1990's
Continued increases in unemployment have meant a greater proportion of
Europe's population is being excluded from the economic mainstream.
Tackling structural unemployment represents a major challenge for policy
making in Europe. The EU, nation states, and regional and local
governments devised and implemented policies designed to reduce
unemployment
This Report is intended to further the debate on innovative approaches to
job creation in Europe's urban areas. The study is illustrated by twenty one
innovative urban projects. These case studies illustrate the employment
creation potential of locally based initiatives. They encompass three themes:
environmentally, socially, and economically, sustainable projects. Many
initiatives are either impliciüy or explicitly intended to widen the
employment opportunities available to urban residents.
Chapter 2: Employment Potential and Innovations towards the
Environmentally Sustainable City.
Environmental protection is increasingly seen throughout Europe as an
important factor in the creation and restructuring of employment. Two main
project areas can be identified: transport related innovations, and
environmental and ecological job creation schemes. An efficient transport
system is an essential weapon in attracting new investment into cities and for
enhancing economic development in its widest sense. Environmental and
ecological schemes also have job creation potential. These include:
neighbourhood based initiatives; recycling programmes and the re-use of
organic waste; and 'envirotechnology.' Chapter 3: Employment Potential and Innovations towards the
Socially Sustainable City
One theme which has come to the fore in urban policy throughout Europe is
that of social sustainability. Projects with a 'social' theme often have the
potential to create jobs or relieve some of the problems associated with
unemployment Public-private partnerships, increasing citizens' safety and
promoting community participation are three important themes in this
context.
Many initiatives designed to enhance social sustainability are area based,
organised around partnership arrangements between the public and private
sector and a wide variety of community interests. Crime prevention
initiatives also have potential to create jobs. Increased community
participation can be perceived as an important mechanism through which to
enhance the longer term social sustainability of cities. Initiatives can attempt
to re-integrate groups in society which have traditionally been excluded
from the job market
Chapter 4: Employment Potential and Innovations towards the
Economically Sustainable City
Economically sustainable projects can be assessed within a two fold
structure: initiatives encouraging the economic restructuring of urban areas,
and projects focusing upon urban land uses and increased urban diversity.
The scale of economic restructuring occurring in many cities often leads to
the creation of a pool of unemployed people lacking appropriate skills for
employment in service sectors and high tech industries. Strategic planning
can be a positive instrument in helping to formulate new land uses and for
creating conditions for improved employment opportunities.