New Europe City Makers Pre-Summit at Pakhuis De Zwijger

On February 4 and 5 City Makers from across 60 cities in the Netherlands and Europe will exchange know-how and experience, during a two-day conference in preparation of the City Makers Summit. The networks of Nieuw Nederland – Steden in Transitie and New Europe – Cities in Transition will further develop and work on the input for the City Makers Agenda, to inspire the EU Urban Agenda.

All over Europe, pioneering City Makers take up initiatives to increase the livability of their cities. They redevelop neglected brownfields, start community enterprises to create jobs in the neighbourhood, rethink food production through urban farming, address increasing vacancy of shops and industrial heritage or promote a more sustainable use of existing resources altogether. Our cities face many contemporary challenges, but the manifold initiatives of City Makers contribute to the innovative climate that determine our cities today. What drives them, and how can we make sure that the best practices flourish and accelerate? How can City Makers combine their societal impact with sustainable business models? What could new roles of government officials look like? And are there rules and regulations that should be adjusted in favor of the City Makers movement?

Ook een vertegenwoordiging van de Lelystadse Stadsambassade nam aan deze bijeenkomst deel. Meer informatie is te vinden op de website Steden in transitie. Op die website staat ook het mission statement van de Stadsambassade Lelystad.

Een eerste impressie van de bijeenkomst vindt u hier. En voor wie wat meer wil lezen is er deze link.

Voor de Stadsambassade Lelystad verzorgde de Stadmakerij de volgende “one minute pitch”:

A century ago Ebenezer Howard contributed to the urban agenda by publishing “Garden cities of tomorrow”. This girl lives in his heritage. My hometown Lelystad is a Garden city. And now, today, it is tomorrow.

Lelystad is green, clean, beautiful spatially designed. But also with an oversized city-centre and a high unemployment rate.We transform from a planned city to a social, livable organism. City makers try to find their way. From the authorities we expect:

Acknowledge that we, city makers, are crucial partners in realizing the modern urban agenda.Declining emphasis on borders, rules and regulations (such as e.g. European tenders). Accept that regional problems are solved by regional means.

So that this girls future is a creative, bit chaotic, social, post national way of living.