Martin
Neubert
Ad-Hoc Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I have studied and graduated as Dipl.-Ing. Urban and Regional Planning. Also, though discontinued, I continued my studies towards a DPhil in Sustainable Urban Development. The skills acquired laid the foundation for my ongoing professional engagement in the field of city development and urban renewal in the past years. I work in a regionally rooted urban development company mainly in the field of consulting small and medium sized cities in eastern Germany towards reaching and implementing a coherent sustainable development policy and practice. In this context, I have created or co-created more than 50 concepts and development plans on regional, city and neighbourhood levels, both as strategic documents and also as implementation guides focused on the structural level. Main topics were and are integrated development, urban renewal, urban design, housing, mobility and participation. A part of my work was to lead and further evolve “Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz” as a coordination hub for the revitalisation of vacant dilapidated buildings in the City of Chemnitz which has been awarded URBACT Good Practice in 2017 and subsequently served as the foundation for the ALT/BAU Transfer Network. Previous international work and research activities also included urban development in Tonga and Vietnam.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
Currently, my involvement in transnational exchange and learning activities comprise my role as Project Coordinator on Lead Partner Level for the ALT/BAU Transfer Network. I have had the opportunity to engage actively and deeply into the thematic and methodological aspects throughout the full duration of this network. Co-designing the network layout and the different activities and outputs through the close cooperation with the network’s Lead Expert and the six project partners have formed my understanding of the processes, potentials and challenges of transnational learning.
My understanding of institutional decision making processes and stakeholder cooperation was also facilitated by various projects aimed at aspects of exchange and learning (e.g. thematic workshops and project management) in international, regional and local contexts.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
I have lived and worked for two and a half years in English speaking countries and I am using it professionally and privately on a regular basis. I had the opportunity to apply and refine my English skills through my postgraduate studies, my work as Project Coordinator for the ALT/BAU Transfer Network and many personal contacts using the English language.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Urban Strategic Planning
Summary Thematic expertise:
I have gained deep insights into urban strategic planning by designing integrated urban planning concepts and plans for and cooperating with more than 20 small and medium-sized cities in eastern Germany. The project scales include:
- Regional concepts for the development and cooperation of municipality clusters
- Integrated urban development concepts for whole cities with a cross-section of all relevant urban development aspects (including e.g. demography, housing)
- Urban development concepts and plans for neighbourhoods or urban redevelopment districts linked to European or National/State programmes targeted to redevelopment, preservation or inner city redevelopment with a strong focus on urban renewal in shrinking cities
- Thematic development plans
The collaborations with the city councils and administrations include also a range of participatory processes on the policy level towards a sustainable implementation of local urban development policies as well as the local management of funding schemes.
Since 2012, I am leading the project “Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz” (URBACT Good Practice 2017) and a comparable project in the City of Limbach-Oberfrohna (since 2017) as successful urban management initiatives carried out as PPPs. These and the Project Coordination of the subsequent ALT/BAU Transfer Network (2018-2021) focus on strategic renewal through the revitalization of unused/dilapidated housing stock and the targeted management of a multitude of stakeholders.
Theme / Policy:
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise:
Urban renewal was and is a core theme for the integrated urban planning concepts and plans I have designed for more than 20 small and medium-sized cities in eastern Germany over the past ten years. In particular, I worked on urban development and renewal concepts and thematic development plans (e.g. public space, traffic/accessibility, playgrounds) for neighbourhoods or urban redevelopment districts that target redevelopment, preservation and inner city redevelopment. This also includes harmonising the strategies and measures in the urban renewal concepts and plans with the relevant goals and priorities for successful admissions to relevant EU and National/State grant programmes and funding schemes (ERDF, Stadtumbau, Städtebaulicher Denkmalschutz, Aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren and others).
I am leading the project “Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz” since 2012 (URBACT Good Practice 2017) and a comparable project in the municipality of Limbach-Oberfrohna (since 2017) as pro-active urban management initiatives carried out as PPPs with wide-ranging impact on urban renewal in the historic neighbourhoods. Both projects focus on urban renewal through the successful revitalization of unused and dilapidated housing stock and the targeted management of a multitude of public and private stakeholders. I have been able to follow on as the Project Coordinator for the ALT/BAU Transfer Network (URBACT 2018-2021) in which the Good Practice was adapted and re-used in six EU partner cities.
Theme / Policy:
Local Governance
Summary Thematic expertise:
I have more than ten years of experience in consulting city councils, administrations, stakeholders and citizens in more than 20 small and medium-sized cities with a strong focus on integrated local development strategies and urban renewal. This includes consultations and the moderation of various participatory processes on the policy level towards a sustainable implementation of urban development goals and measures on the local level. Co-designing these strategies and measures together with decision makers helped to streamline them with the relevant EU and National/State schemes for successful admissions into grant programmes.
On the regional level, I designed and negotiated Regional Development Concepts for trans-municipal cooperation, e.g. Städteverbund Göltzschtal (2019), Talsperrenregion Kriebstein (2018) and Vwg. Kirchberg (2014).
By co-designing and leading the project “Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz” since 2012 (URBACT Good Practice 2017) and a comparable project in the City of Limbach-Oberfrohna (since 2017), our team has been able to implement and promote them as successful urban management initiatives. Both projects focus on urban renewal through the revitalisation of unused and dilapidated housing stock and the targeted management of a multitude of public and private stakeholders. As the Project Coordinator for the ALT/BAU Transfer Network (2018-2021), I have been able to follow on in the transfer and adaptation of the Good Practice in six EU partner cities.
Theme / Policy:
Sustainable Housing
Summary Thematic expertise:
I am leading the project Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz since 2012 (URBACT Good Practice 2017) and a comparable project in the municipality of Limbach-Oberfrohna (since 2017) as successful urban management initiatives carried out as PPPs. These and the Project Coordination of the subsequent ALT/BAU Transfer Network focus on the revitalisation of unused and dilapidated housing stock as part of the municipal housing renewal policies and include the targeted management of a multitude of public and private stakeholders in the field of housing, including owners and investors.
Housing is one of the main emphases in the German National/State grant programme Stadtumbau. I have designed and produced integrated urban planning concepts and plans for more than 15 different small and medium-sized cities in Saxony over the past ten years as the basis for the mostly successful admission of more than 25 urban redevelopment districts into this programme. This includes also consultations and participatory processes on the policy level towards a sustainable housing development in shrinking cities with focus on public and affordable housing, energy efficiency, accessibility, community development and urban design.
I have gained insight into the handling of the relevant public funding schemes for housing through the management of Stadtumbau grants for the Sonnenberg neighbourhood in Chemnitz (2017-2018) with a strong focus on the renovation of public and private tenement buildings.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
- Co-implementation of the Lead Partner’s ULG of the ALT/BAU Transfer Network (thematic workshops, scenario process) and the conducting of the Good Practice’s Steering Committee.
- Thematic support of the European partners of the ALT/BAU Transfer Network through peer-learning, one-to-one sessions and thematic workshops
- Conducting of participatory processes for the design of urban strategies and policies in multiple small and medium-sized municipalities in eastern Germany. This includes stakeholder participation and also public participation through questionnaires, workshops and interviews.
- Design and Moderation of the Retreat of the city council of the City of Rodewisch towards its new mission statement (2020)
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
- Monitoring and evaluation of the effects and outcomes of urban development concepts and plans over time in the context of the updating of the documents in close cooperation with the city administrations
- Creation of tools to continually document, monitor and visualise the main outcomes of the work of Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
- Continuous or ad hoc use of relevant publications and online channels that discuss current developments and state of the art examples in the field
- Regular exchange with colleagues and partners
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
- Cooperation with the partners in the ALT/BAU Transfer Network to find tailor-made solutions for adapting and re-using the Good Practice by using tools such as peer learning, one-to-one sessions with the partners and the Lead Expert/Lead Partner team, personal exchange and feedback
- Tailoring the focus and the layout of urban development concepts and plans to specific local circumstances of the cities (size and location, political and administrative priorities, special local characteristics such as built heritage, tourism, brownfields etc.)
- Heritage and community development e.g. through a local mapping workshop in the historic village of Lapaha, Tonga (2008)
Summary Expertise:
- Thematic support of the European partners and co-implementation of the Lead Partner’s ULG of the ALT/BAU Transfer Network (peer learning, one-to-one sessions, thematic workshops, scenario process)
- Conducting of the Steering Committee of Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz (Good Practice 2017) and creation of tools to continually document, monitor and visualise the main outcomes of the project
- Implementation of participatory processes for the design of urban strategies in multiple small and medium-sized municipalities in eastern Germany over more than ten years. This includes stakeholder participation and also public participation through questionnaires, workshops and interviews, and the design and moderation of the retreat of a city council (2020)
- Monitoring and evaluation of the effects and outcomes of urban development concepts and plans over time in the context of the updating of the documents in close cooperation with the city administration(s)
- Heritage and community development e.g. through workshops in the historic village of Lapaha, Tonga (2008)
Informations
Residence location:
Germany
Languages:
German - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
neubert@stadtwohnen-chemnitz.de