3rd Peer Review Session in Budapest 4-6 September, 2013

The Peer Review Session started with a presentation by one of the Hungarian KAs on the development of Budapest as a city and also on the history of prefabricated panel housing estates in order to provide a wider context for the Budapest target area in the RE-Block project, the Havanna housing estate.

The two-days Peer Review Session was chaired by the Vice Mayor at the Municipality of the 18^th district of Budapest, who also acts as the Head of the ULSG. The Peer Review was organized in 3 blocks:

• Local problems concerning the built environment – presentations and guided tour around the housing estate;

• Local problems concerning the social issues – presentations and guided tour around the housing estate;

• Knowledge ambassadors’ recommendations and interactive discussion.

The following issues were touched in the presentations and during the site visits:

STRENGTHS

• Airy layout, green areas, pedestrian walks

• Active Havana market

• Video surveillance system developed

• Available and exploitable empty rooms

• Roofs suitable for setting solar panels

• Sufficient facilities with basic services (infants' nursery, nursery school, elementary and secondary schools, senior day-care centre, etc.)

• Cultural centre – organising community life (Kondor Béla Community House)

• Efficient family support and welfare services (Csibész family support, family playhouse, etc.)

• Active church life (several religious denominations are present)

WEAKNESS

• Some basic services are missing (post office is far, there are only a few and outdated sports facilities)

• Empty shops, unattractive shop-fronts

• Institutes are inaccessible (e.g.: paediatrician surgery)

• Buildings with bad energy efficiency and out-of-date mechanics

• Management insufficiencies in condominium buildings

• Outdated transport organization

• Playgrounds or communal places can be used only by a narrow age group

• There are a lot of damages, environment is neglected, residents lack ownership attitude

• Prejudice against people who live in the estate, bad image of Havana

• Increasing impoverishment, welfare problems

• There is no comprehensive, truly solidary local community, but there are unmotivated residents

• Limited and less active civil and non-governmental organizations

Once the Knowledge Ambassadors delegated by partners to the Budapest 18^th district Peer Review Session learnt about the key issues at the La Palma area, they presented relevant good practices from Salford, Magdeburg, Iasi, Rome, Vilnius and Gelsenkirchen as ideas to be considered and adapted to the LAP of Havanna. Recommendations were also made by the representatives of the partner cities in the discussion with the Members of the ULSG.