All Role Model Cities are characterized by a knowledge-based economy:
Role Model cities have selected their most successful actions as Models.
CITY AS A MEMORY CITY AS A PROJECT
The model is based on the reconciliation between the ‘historic city’ and the ‘city as project’ assuming 4 main pillars:
LIGHT MANAGEMENT
Lyon is currently renewing its Lighting Plan, with the ambition to open the path for integrating new technical possibilities, using light better for urban and social development, preventing the danger of luminous cacophony, reducing energy demand and nocturnal pollution. The entrances/exits of the city will also be part of the lighting scheme. Light is an integral part of public actions and landscape, urban and architectural development projects, and opened up the way to professionalising an activity that annually acquires new references to its pedigree.
CULTURAL HERITAGE ACCESSIBILITY
Athens’s model promotes an accessible-to-all concept among citizens and visitors. It includes solutions for public space use, provisional solutions for the homeless and the unemployed, socio-cultural entrepreneurs projects to create new, participatory and sustainable practices to address Athens Cultural Heritage as a basis for urban regeneration and transformation to Knowledge society. Accessibility is assumed in terms of Physical accessibility to Cultural Values and Cultural Heritage (not simply in legal terms), with a strategy for economic actors, transportation means, Municipal public spaces and effective communication campaigns; Economic accessibility (free services and paid personalised services); Psycho-social accessibility concrete model supporting all learning typologies (from learning difficulties to intellectual people requiring specific in-depth info), to mainstream accessibility to Cultural Heritage for disadvantaged citizens/visitors; Socio-cultural accessibility concrete model to mainstream accessibility to Cultural Heritage for migrants/refugees.
DEMOCRACY AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
Complementary to the Accessibility Model, Athens promotes participatory consultation methods linking Cultural Heritage and urban regeneration; ‘Agora Kypselis’ is a role consultation process to support, design and promote cultural and open access activities. The consultation processes, comprising forms of interaction are often mingled with public consultation programmes, complementing and overlapping each other.
COMMUNITY BASED DESIGN
The model is based on the process of brokering between public and private stakeholders enabling an open and cooperative environment, raising community trust and encouraging civic involvement by offering citizens the opportunity to become active participants in the life of their own community. This model has been crystallized under the project ‘COM’ON Cluj-Napoca’, aimed at involving citizens in a democratic deliberation and decision process for determining the best way to spend part of the public budget (participative youth budgeting). The model depends on a participatory approach, consisting of local administration, policy makers, industry, research, NGOs and associations strongly committed to the priority projects for heritage regeneration, reinvention of historical centre and redevelopment of the city’s backbone to create a sustainable and equitable solution to address the community's needs.
CCI AND LIVING LAB
Eindhoven generated a Living Lab in the former industrial regeneration area called ‘Strijp-S’ which creates and captures value from its own activities in order to sustainably fund itself by taking into account the quadruple helix approach. The Living Lab generates economic, cultural and technological initiatives which contributes to strengthen identity and significance of the Strijp-S as the center of Brainport Region Eindhoven, to promote its (inter)national reputation and the rediscovery of the place for industrial heritage. The goal is to update Strijp-S to cover the entire spectrum of art and technology and the chain of research & development, cultural production and presentation; to strengthen bottom-up cooperation along three lines: Experiment, Experience, Excellence.
SUSTAINABLE RE-USE OF THE SPACES AND PP SYNERGIES
Torino underwent a post industrial transition, creating a new culture & knowledge-led identity through a spatial approach. The reuse of the heritage in the central districts combined with physical regeneration, great international events (e.g. 2006 Winter Olympics) and the development of a strong, long-term publicly-led cultural policy, contributed to boost an overall and wider redevelopment process. In this framework, private initiatives of different nature and size, and the support from regional, national and European funding concurred in the success of a model which is still in sharp evolution.
NEW SMART SERVICES FOR THE OLD TOWN REGENERATION
Vilnius Old Town Revitalisation programme consisted of physical renewal of buildings and public areas, community building, promotion of traditional crafts, educational activities. The regeneration of the physical space, first in the city centre, then gradually the outer neighbourhoods, contributed to revitalize areas which were previously considered unsafe places (Historic Centre, Uzupis,), and to reconvert industrial districts (Architectural Park). The model is included into the Lituania 2030 program for the preservation and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage and wise use of the resources.
CULTURE-LED REGENERATION AND INNOVATIVE FUNDINGS
Over the past few years Liverpool has delivered major heritage projects. Grand historic buildings have been restored (e.g St George’s Hall). Important collections have been catalogued and made more accessible. The redevelopment of Liverpool Central Library and Archive, begun in 2010, the building restored to former glory and complemented by new state-of-the art facilities. A programme of tours, events and information material helps promoting the opportunities and interest of the World Heritage Site to residents and visitors. Main aim is to conserve the city’s cultural heritage to the highest standards of good practice while integrating contemporary architecture, combining the best of new design with the most significant historic buildings.