Common Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Future
Initiated by Gisela Kallenbach and David Dammerstein Mintz, MEP
More than 80 % of European citizens are living in cities. Cities are main actors related to the development of European future. Cities play a relevant role for sustainable development, employment and innovation. The project should contribute to sustainable development through strengthening citizen’s engagement and good governance, strengthening the relation between preservation of the common European heritage and sustainable development. It should help to discuss the core values of a European identity and to communicate the aims of the “Lisbon Agenda”.
It started with an opening conference in autumn 2006. Invited were representatives from different – before all – nongovernmental initiatives in the field of heritage and sustainability. These initiatives were asked to cooperate in regional meetings in 2006 and to finalize the project with an European conference in 2007, concluding the results 15 years after the Rio Conference of 1992. The group of parliamentarians GREENS/European Free Alliance in the European Parliament has decided to initiate and support this project.
We want to:
- Promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences between active people in different European member states. We want to support the exchange of knowledge and experiences from current and finished projects like community initiatives and actions as URBAN, URBACT, CONVERS… LIFE. We want to honour and use the European experiences in monument conservation.
We are asking:
- What are our common positions, political values and intentions within the debate about the European identity? Is there a special quality of European cultural heritage in the light of sustainable development? Is this heritage an appropriate common base for the future development?
- The initiative shall comprise representative of groups being able to report about
- A current campaign oriented towards sustainable development, based on a broad participation of civil society and promotion of civic engagement
- One special area of success, which can provide know-how for the other participants
- Good examples for good governance – positive cooperation between local authorities and NGO
Main focus is on the following topics and questions:
Architecture / Planning / Monument Conservation
- How to promote construction and planning for sustainable cities? How to maintain “mixed use” and short ways (housing, shopping, working) in cities? How to cope the challenges of shrinking cities? How to use formerly industrially used areas for new purposes? How to maintain the cultural heritage of industrial buildings? How to improve the implementation of insulation, modern heating and use of renewable energies (solar power on church’s roofs) in the monument conservation?
Urban Ecology, Green/Recreation areas, Agriculture and Nature Conservation
- How to maintain, save and develop green areas in cities in the face of shrinking public budgets? How to deal find multiple use for rare green spaces in the core cities? How to encourage citizens to engage for the development of open spaces (parks, play grounds etc.)? How to use areas in cities for farming and regional trade?
Retail and Traffic
- How to meet the needs of sustainable mobility in cities and preservation of traditional down town areas (traffic organisation)? How can citizen engagement and sustainable lifestyle improve the living conditions in cities?
- How to promote local retailers? How can the small retailers in core cities compete with the malls on the green meadows?
Education, Culture and Religion
- How do cultural initiatives contribute to create a common European identity? Which topics are relevant, which kinds of events are appropriate?
- How to define the role of churches and religious communities in this context? Is the inter-religious dialogue promoting better understanding of different social groups in cities?
- Which role the time-honoured universities do play in the context of heritage and modernisation?
Social Integration, Social Welfare and Health
- How do social initiatives contribute to sustainable development? How to use the potential of senior citizens? How to improve social infrastructure in the face of public budget deficits and employment crisis? How to improve the social integration? How can healthy and sustainable live styles in cities be established?
Good Governance
- How do non-profit organisations contribution to the development of democratic societies? How can European models of democracy developed - and maybe transferred into the enlargement countries? How do they cooperate – regionally or locally? How do local politicians support these movements?
- How do younger generations participate in democratic processes? Which relevance takes this topic in education – in schools, in further education, in political education?
- How do municipalities promote citizen engagement and participation?