New challenges, new strategies
Edited on
04 August 2015We are in front of a socio-economic context in which cities are facing new challenges. The healthcare sector is one of which most cries out the creation of new strategies and cities, whatever it is their location, size and reality, must respond urgently and efficiently. To do it, local administration should play a new role, which takes into account all parties involved and attends the needs of citizens. It is also necessary to plan actions in the short and long term.
Aware of this complex and changing situation, the European Union has placed the health sector as one of the strategic pillars for 2020. This gives great value to the project, as the results will be closely observed and studied in European key. In addition, the incorporation of the "social innovation" concept -not only technological as were accustomed until now- provides new lines on the ground where, for the first time, brings together everything related to health and even give a step further: causes the interaction of all this environment in order to emerge new partnerships that encourage growth in different levels: social, economic, etc.
So it corresponds to the cities to lead up to this transformative process that must culminate in the co-creation of strategies, new functional plans and the implementation of concrete actions introducing social innovation in each stage. Along with this leadership role that will lead to new services and organizational models, cities should enable financed and infrastructures; should support development, linking, information, education and empowerment; shall exercise marketing raising awareness; must control and assure quality and, finally, must also -but never only- be fund raiser.
The 4D Cities is a rich and diverse partners’ network, because it integrates and feeds from eight European cities quite different from each other in terms of size, realities, assets and legal framework, for example, but matched in terms of engagement, responsiveness and, especially, shared issues such as ageing and dependence. In small towns and villages like ours, a program such URBACT aimed at the transmission and generation of transnational knowledge directly applicable to cities gives us an excellent opportunity that, otherwise, would not be possible.
At the end of the project we will be able to draw a conclusions guide about City Councils good practices in relation to knowledge, the business sector, the health system and citizens’ participation to ensure that the health sector acts as a growth engine. We want it to be applicable to all kinds of cities. We are going to focus more on the "how" and the interactions among agents rather than the "what" has been done. The case studies have to be used as analytical models, but if we do not look for the proceeding process we will not be able to adapt them to our reality.
In short, we are generating knowledge in a field increasingly crucial as Health and we are doing it in an innovative way, applicable everywhere.
*Àngels Chacón, Vice Mayor for Economic Development of Igualada and 4D Cities Project Coordinator.
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