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Land Use Management for Sustainable European Cities: LUMASEC Final Handbook Event

Edited on

09 October 2017
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LUMASEC is an URBACT project made of 8 European partners which aim to identify the scope of strategic and operational action for European cities in land use planning. Following the conclusion of its programme of exchange and learning activities, LUMASEC has published a final handbook "Sustainable Land Use Management in Europe" providing strategies and tools for decision-makers regarding this challenge. The project will hold a book presentation event on the 8th of November 2010 in Brussels.
 

Land Use Management: A Need for Integrated Management

For hundreds of years throughout Europe, steering urban land use has been a simple matter of permissions and land exchange in the insular setting of a municipality. But changing framework conditions such as globalisation or climate change and other 21st century factors mean that problems and their solutions are much more interlinked and crossing traditional territorial approaches than before. Authorities have to scan a much wider horizon in order to deliver responsible, sustainable development for today and future generations.

A changing understanding of public authorities and a shifting in their power as well as an increased stakeholder engagement open up opportunities to engage large partnerships with the public and private sectors. The economic, environmental and social benefits of the regeneration of brownfield sites and the reduction of urban sprawl , seem to be a common knowledge. City centre regeneration is almost entirely based on this policy, which has turned the tide on out-of-town development and brought creativity and commerce back to the cities of Europe. Now, many cities are aiming at spreading the prosperity to some of their disadvantaged communities by regenerating neighbourhoods within the city boundaries around new business and employment opportunities. Some cities are not there yet and a few face huge challenges. In many cities, particularly in Eastern Europe, heavy industry has only recently declined, and they must plan carefully for the future to attract new employment opportunities.

Learning from practice: LUMASEC Handbook

The URBACT project LUMASEC researched and supported cities’ urban development in order to learn more about practical ways to do sustainable land use management. Managing urban sprawl, unlocking the potential of brownfield sites and creating competitive, attractive environments where communities can flourish is the shared aim behind this European project. As a network of private and public sector decision makers, LUMASEC develops strategies for sustainable land use management.

The LUMASEC Handbook presents the results of a 2-year work (September 2008 - May 2010) focussing on urban sprawl and urban brownfields, as one of the most important topics to address, to ensure competitiveness, attractiveness and sustainability of our European city-regions. It focuses on both the strategic level (planning methods, observation tools) and the operational level (action plans, case-studies), and aims at producing methods and practical recommendations.

The Book presentation will take place on the 8th of  November 2010 (16.00 – 18.00) at ISOCARP Brussels Liaison Office.

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