The policy of economic and social cohesion of the EU promotes a balanced, harmonious and sustainable development of the Community, reducing the inequalities between different regions of Europe. It is an expression of solidarity between Member States aimed at making the EU regions more attractive, innovative and competitive place to live and work.
The Lisbon Treaty and the EU’s new strategy (2020) introduce a third dimension: territorial cohesion. The Europe 2020 strategy, the head of all European policies, offers a vibrant growth, sustainable, inclusive. The current Structural Funds programming, is done through the Partnership Agreement which regulates the 2014-2020 Structural Funds programming for the next seven years.
The Agreement identifies the principal concepts of the common strategy of “Urban Agenda” for the 2014-2020 EU funds, which accepts two types of territories: metropolitan cities which will focus on the intervention of the National Operational Programme “Metropolitan Cities” and medium-sized cities and regional urban centers, which are the poles of delivering services – essential to rank high – significant for large areas, which involved the Regional Operational Programmes. The spatial strategy for the inland areas, which aims to counter the decline, and completes the geographical areas of intervention.
The strategy for sustainable urban development, including in Europe 2020 is embodied in the program “URBACT III”. Three types of intervention: transnational exchange, capacity-building, capitalization and dissemination. Also the 2020 Horizon line, includes a task of great territorial impact: Smart Cities and Communities. In Italy, the quality of human capital and some larger basins of values (environment, landscape, culture, food quality, well-being, climate), contrasts with the critical notes.
Urbanpromo 2014 coincides with the start of the new programming. How to take advantage of the opportunities? What role for the urban system of the country? Which Italian specificity for urban development policies in 2020?
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