the new charter of athens 2003.pdf

European Council of Town Planners

Conseil Européen des Urbanistes

The New Charter of Athens 2003

The European Council of Town Planners’

Vision for Cities in the 21 st century

Lisbon, 20 November 2003

Introduction

The European Council of Town Planners (ECTP) is confident that in the 21 st century

Europe will advance decisively towards the goal of integration. Within this developing

framework, the ECTP presents a common and widely shared Vision on the future of

European cities (Part A). This is a vision of a network of cities, which will:

retain their cultural richness and diversity, resulting from their long history, linking

the past through the present to the future;

become connected in a multitude of meaningful and functional networks;

remain creatively competitive whilst striving for complementarity and co-operation;

contribute decisively to the well-being of their inhabitants and users;

integrate the man-made and the natural elements of the environment.

Within the New Athens Charter 2003, the Vision also includes a framework for

implementation (Part B) consisting of:

a brief summary of the main issues and challenges that affect cities at the beginning

of the third millennium;

the commitments required by spatial planners in realising the Vision.

This 2003 version of the New Charter of Athens is addressed primarily to professional

planners working throughout Europe and those concerned with the planning process – to

give direction to their actions, for greater coherence in building a meaningful network of

cities in Europe connected through time, at all levels and in all sectors.

Spatial planning is vital for the delivery of sustainable development. In particular, it

concerns the prudent management of space, a critical natural resource, limited in supply,

but with growing demands upon it. It also requires trans-disciplinary teamwork involving

different skills at various scales in long-lasting processes. The particular attribute of the

planning profession is its ability to take a range of issues into account and to translate

them into spatial terms. The ECTP is aware of both the variety and the universality of the

planning profession in Europe as it takes into account the rich diversity of its cities and

regions.

New Charter of Athens – Final version – July 2003

PART A

The Vision

1. T HE C ONNECTED C ITY

In the second half of the 20 th century, many dire predictions about the future of European

cities were expressed. They included the lowering of productivity, abandonment and

implosion of central areas, rampant crime, heavy pollution and dramatic environmental

degradation, as well as loss of identity. Happily, these predictions did not materialise,

although today the cities of the Old Continent are far from ideal as they face daunting

challenges.

In response, at the dawn of the new millennium, the European Council of Town Planners

proposes its vision. Neither a utopia, nor an outlandish projection of technological

innovations, it focuses on the Connected City – and is essentially a snapshot of how we

would like our cities to be, now and in the future. This vision is a goal towards which we,

the planners of Europe, are committed to work and to contribute, to the best of our

professional abilities - a goal that can be achieved by the combined efforts of all honest

stakeholders in the processes of sustainable urban development and management.

The connected city is comprised of a variety of connective mechanisms acting on

different scales. These include tactile and visual connection to the built environment, as

well as connections between a diversity of urban functions, infrastructure networks, and

information and communication technologies.

Connecting Through Time

Ancient settlements were created to provide shelter and safety for people and to exchange

products. They gave rise to organised societies, developed a wide range of skills, became

highly productive and grew into powerful centres of civilisation. They were built in

carefully selected places, maintaining a clear distinction between the city limits and the

surrounding rural and natural areas, even when fortifications became obsolete and were

removed.

Compared to urban areas in many other parts of the World, European cities are

distinguished by a long history of development, closely reflecting the characteristics of

the political, social and economic structures of nations. It is this history and diversity

which has made them different.

By contrast, the cities of 21 st century Europe are becoming more difficult to distinguish,

as human activities, initially located within urban centres, are now spreading widely into

the hinterland, consuming rural and natural areas. Transportation and other infrastructure

networks, constructed to serve and connect these dispersed activities, actually fragment

and degrade space – the major non-renewable natural resource. Slowly, but inexorably,

the new complex networks link together small and large cities, so as to create an urban

New Charter of Athens – Final version – July 2003

continuum, already evident in many parts of Europe. In it, the classical cities become just

a component of the new networks. The effects of this damaging trend inevitably must be

addressed in any vision on the future of cities.

The future is built at every moment of the present through our actions. The past provides

invaluable lessons for the future. In many respects, the city of tomorrow is already with

us. There are many features of present city life which we cherish and value, and which

we hope to bequeath to future generations. What is the basic problem with our existing

cities? In our view, it is the lack of connectivity, not only in physical terms, but also in

relation to time, which affects social structures and cultural differences. This does not just

mean continuity of character in the built environment, but also continuity in identity,

which is in our view an important value to be fostered in a dynamic world . For the future,

the notion of the network city needs to be stressed, a series of poly-centric urban

networks, many of which transcend national boundaries within the new Europe.

2. SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY

The future welfare of humanity requires people to be considered both as individuals, with

specific freedoms of choice to be maintained, but also as communities connected to

society as a whole. This is an important goal for the connected city, which is responsive

to the interests of society as a whole, whilst having regard to the needs, rights and duties

of various cultural groups and of individual citizens.

Facilitating multi-cultural expression and exchanges among different social groups is

necessary but not sufficient. There are large economic disparities to be tackled within the

European Union, which are seemingly generated by the present system of free markets,

competition, and globalisation. If these trends continue, they will lead to the rupture of

the social and economic fabric. To avert this, a new approach to governance must

emerge, involving all stakeholders, and tackling social problems, such as unemployment,

poverty, exclusion, criminality and violence. Thus the city which is connected socially

will be able to provide a high degree of security and sense of ease.

Although these noble social objectives go beyond the scope of the planners’ mandate, the

connected European city of the 21 st century will also provide a wide range of economic

and employment opportunities for all people living and working within it. At the same

time, it will secure for them better access to education, health and other social facilities.

New forms of social and economic structures will provide the diverse framework

required to eliminate social disruption created by imbalances.

Involvement

Future European cities will be used not only by resident citizens, but also by other

consumers of their facilities and services on a permanent or a temporary basis

New Athens Charter – Final version – July 2003 3

Social balance

(commuters and visitors). There will be foreign low-skilled workers, as well as highly

educated professionals (residing for long or short periods). Most probably these two

groups will figure prominently in the activities of a number of cities. As a consequence,

democratic institutions will respond to the needs and well-being of all these social

groups. Current systems of urban governance, limited mainly by the votes of permanent

residents, will not be able to respond equitably to the new social conditions, especially in

matters relating to urban development. In the connected city, new systems of

representation and participation will be developed, making full use of easier access to

information and the wider involvement of active citizens’ networks, thus giving them all -

residents and users- a voice on the future of their urban environment.

Sufficient time must be built into the decision-making processes relating to spatial

planning and development, so that social links can be established, and positive

interactions facilitated. At the same time it must be acknowledged that in the connected

city of the future, many groups of residents, both permanent and temporary, will be

content to make use of urban facilities and services without wanting to be involved in

local decision-making. Nevertheless, they will demand quality and will be prepared to

pay for the services and facilities which are provided.

Multi-cultural richness

Due to the growing trend towards European unification, which will have a slow but clear

impact on mobility and employment patterns, European cities will again become truly

multi-cultural, as well as multilingual. New connections will be established, involving a

delicate and adaptive balance, so that they maintain both their cultural and historical

heritage and character, and encourage each of the groups residing or working within them

to retain their own social and cultural characteristics, and to play a commensurate role in

considering issues relating to their social and physical environment. Sustainability –

integrating the economic, ecological and social dimensions of change, based on

participation and involvement – will be a pivotal objective for making this possible.

Connections between generations

The changing balance between the different age groups of an ageing European population

brings the need to restore the ties of cohesion between generations. This new and growing

social challenge must be addressed not only in social and economic terms, but also in the

establishment of adequate city support networks and infrastructure, including new

activities for the retired and elderly and public pedestrian spaces for interaction among all

age groups.

Social identity

The personal identity of citizens is strongly related to the identity of their cities. The

dynamics due to immigration in the connected city will contribute to the establishment of

newer and stronger urban identities. Each city will develop its own social and cultural

mix – a result of both their historical character and emerging developments. As a result,

New Charter of Athens – Final version – July 2003

there will continue to be a great diversity in the character and identity of cities and

regions in different parts of Europe.

In the connected city, the exchanges among cultures in the urban environment and their

communication and gradual fusion will give city life a much greater richness and

diversity. This in turn will add to its overall attractiveness, not only as a residential

environment, but also as a place for work, education, business, and leisure.

In the European cities of the future, citizens will have a varied choice of transportation

modes at their disposal, together with accessible and responsive information networks.

In the connected city and its regional hinterland, new technologies will be applied

creatively to provide a variety of systems of transportation of persons and materials, and

of information flows. At the local scale, technology and traffic management will be

deployed to secure a decrease in the reliance on private vehicles. At the strategic scale,

linkages between neighbourhoods, cities and regions will be facilitated by the evolution

of the European transportation network, providing rapid, pleasant, sustainable, and

economical connections between places of work, living, leisure, and culture. Within city

networks, mobility will be improved by interchange facilities between the various modes

of transport. These improvements to infrastructure will be balanced with safeguarding

peoples´ options to live and work in quiet areas not connected to rapid transportation

networks

The spatial organisation of the connected city will include a full integration of

transportation and town planning policies. They will be complemented by more

imaginative urban design and easier access to information, thus minimising the need for

unnecessary travel. Ease of movement and access will be a critical element of city living,

together with greater choice in the mode of transport.

Facilities and Services

According to the needs of present and future citizens, housing and services will become

increasingly accessible – their provision will be flexibly adjusted to new and emerging

patterns of needs. More housing will be provided at affordable prices, in addition to

educational, commercial, cultural and recreational facilities and services. These will be

supported by running costs that citizens can afford, and complemented by a strong sense

of community identity and security.

3. E CONOMIC CONNECTIVITY

European cities of the 21 st century will also be strongly connected at the economic level,

thus inducing the creation of a closely-knit financial network of great efficiency and

productivity, maintaining high levels of employment and ensuring a competitive edge in

New Athens Charter – Final version – July 2003 5

Movement & Mobility

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: