Petra
Potz
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I am working as an urban planner for more than 25 years. Since 2004 I am based in Berlin working as a free-lance urban planner with my planning consultancy location³ - Knowledge Transfer (www.location3.de). Graduating at the University of Dortmund, DE, Faculty of Spatial Planning (1986) and a PhD from "Sapienza" University of Rome, IT, Department for Spatial and Urban Planning (1997) in all my professional experiences sustainable urban development has been a core issue, in scientific research & teaching as well as in the coordination & management of practical exchange and mutual learning. Main activities are consulting & research in integrated urban and regional development, stakeholder mix and multi-level governance issues: regeneration and renewal of (deprived) neighbourhoods and central areas, local economy, social economy, civic involvement and social inclusion, retail and settlement development, quality of life & sustainable food strategies in smaller cities (Cittaslow). The main focus of my activities has always been the role of stakeholders in urban development. Every city is different (historic, cultural, social, economic, environmental conditions etc.), It’s always the local stakeholder network composed of people that makes the difference to be able to create sustainable ideas and projects. A differentiated understanding of local interests and relevant key players, strong and weak ties and networks, and a participative approach are laying the ground.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
I have been the Lead Expert in the URBACT II project RegGov coordinating transnational exchange on “Regional Governance of Sustainable Integrated Neighbourhood Development” with the Lead Partner city of Duisburg/EGDU. Main issue of this network is the vertical dimension of governance including the strategic relationship between local administrations and their managing authorities. I am also working intensely on the horizontal dimension of cooperation, e.g. I have organised workshops and conferences in the RegGov network on local action plans in nine partner cities from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden. I have been working on tools and methods of neighbourhood development together with the European local stakeholders in the URBACT Local Support Groups as a LAB Manager within the URBACT Summer University 2011 in Krakow, Poland. I have been commuting for 15 years between Italy and Germany, in a constant transnational knowledge transfer on urban development policy and good practice (1986-2000). I have done international comparative studies on governance in Berlin, London and Milan (2001-2004), with an emphasis on urban and neighbourhood development effects of retail planning. I have developed and carried out the transnational project RENET as a competence network on retail development, with 17 partners from 7 countries in the Baltic Sea Region (INTERREG, 2004-2007, with REM Consult).
B.3. Proficiency in English:
English for me is a usual working language reading and speaking it fluently. Many of my activities have been developed and implemented in English, especially the URBACT and INTERREG projects mentioned. Since my academic studies I am reading and using specialised literature in original English (and Italian) language. I am a speaker and facilitator of workshops and congresses in English and author of specialised articles (also for the URBACT Tribune), documentations and reports in English. I have done case studies and expert interviews on governance in the UK (2001-2004) and have participated in the DG REGIO study on 50 Projects supported by ERDF (2007-2013) (aeidl, Brussels, 2011-12, working language: English).
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
An URBACT network per se is a teamwork where partners with very different local perspectives come together for a common objective. All partners committed in a network from a variety of cities and regional categories (more or less developed or in transition) are resourceful. To make these resources valuable for all of them is one of the most intriguing parts of my Lead Expert’s experiences. To work on the complexity of the integrated approach, which integrates smart, sustainable and inclusive priorities and actions is one of the main challenges of local authorities, often used to thinking in “sector silos”. An intense transnational and transcultural exchange with all partners on cross-sector mechanisms, bundling of resources, success factors and framework conditions of integrated urban development leading to Local Action Planning with an integrated approach for me is the added value of an URBACT network.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Urban Strategic Planning
Summary Thematic expertise:
All thematic outputs produced in my professional activities rely on a broad expertise on good practice, first-hand knowledge from the locals, capitalisation debates at different practical and theoretical levels to be targeted to different audiences. Working on a neighbourhood action plan for instance needs the involvement of many stakeholders in a participatory scheme and a dialogue that has to be developed with different ranges of involvement: horizontally all relevant groups and voices in the local context, and vertically city-wide development schemes and cross-sector perspectives with regional, national, even European attention have to be included.
Theme / Policy:
Local Governance
Summary Thematic expertise:
All thematic outputs produced in my professional activities rely on a broad expertise on good practice, first-hand knowledge from the locals, capitalisation debates at different practical and theoretical levels to be targeted to different audiences. Working on a neighbourhood action plan for instance needs the involvement of many stakeholders in a participatory scheme and a dialogue that has to be developed with different ranges of involvement: horizontally all relevant groups and voices in the local context, and vertically city-wide development schemes and cross-sector perspectives with regional, national, even European attention have to be included.
Theme / Policy:
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise:
All thematic outputs produced in my professional activities rely on a broad expertise on good practice, first-hand knowledge from the locals, capitalisation debates at different practical and theoretical levels to be targeted to different audiences. Working on a neighbourhood action plan for instance needs the involvement of many stakeholders in a participatory scheme and a dialogue that has to be developed with different ranges of involvement: horizontally all relevant groups and voices in the local context, and vertically city-wide development schemes and cross-sector perspectives with regional, national, even European attention have to be included.
Theme / Policy:
Active Inclusion of Target Groups
Theme / Policy:
Sustainable Food
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 :
During the national project “Activating Civil Society in the Socially Integrative City. Knowledge transfer fostering civil networking in order to guarantee sustainable social development policies in deprived areas” I coordinated a platform of 34 good practice examples of civic involvement and activation in deprived neighbourhoods, in two waves of three regional conferences (North, Centre, South Germany) we created an internet catalogue of a broad variety of examples and elaborated a national Memorandum with 10 recommendations (National Urban Development Policy, 2009-2010). Co-production and implementation of local policies have been core topics of the RegGov network, see expert article on “Co-Production of Local Action Plans. A Central Element of Regional Governance in Deprived Neighbourhoods” in the URBACT Tribune, 2011.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
The function of city-wide monitoring systems and evaluation for the development in urban neighbourhoods was the topic of one of the RegGov clusters. In three working sessions between 2009 and 2011 together with partners with different experiences and technicians from municipal statistics offices we have discussed and worked upon the establishment and needs of city-wide monitoring systems, of how to establish neighbourhood monitoring systems in unexperienced contexts and on the practical experience developing indicators for neighbourhood evaluation.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
In my European and national projects with a link to vertical governance structures I am also aware of the ongoing discussion at programme level being involved in activities of the URBACT Secretariat. I am actively involved in the National URBACT Days in Germany as facilitator, with an advisory relation in coordination meetings with the national Ministry and the national URBACT point, both based in Berlin. At programme level I have contributed to the DG REGIO study on 50 Projects supported by ERDF 2007-2013, a mayor study for capitalization and preparation of the new funding period. I have taken part in the EU Urban Agenda consultation process of the EU Commission as the speaker of the “Commission Europe” of the German planners association SRL (approx.. 2000 members). I am also actively involved in structural policy & ERDF debates at federal State (Land) level, e.g. in North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia. For the last six years I have been working on innovation-led projects within the National Urban Development Policy scheme of the German Federal ministry –an initiative directly following the principles of the Leipzig charter on sustainable integrated urban development. In the project “The Church takes place in the City” (since 2011) the Catholic and the Protestant churches and their welfare organisations, Caritas & Diakonie, are bringing in new potentials for social infrastructure to integrated urban development, from local practice to national policy debate.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
Within the RegGov network, the Lead Expert’s attendance of local support group meetings linked to cluster meetings or seminars in the partner cities have been important elements to understand potentials and resources, also restrictions and needs of the different local realities. This has been an important knowledge base for better understanding and finding tailor-made consultancy for the single partners and their Local Action Planning process and at the same time for the transfer of their specific and fruitful local experiences into the network partnership. The participation in the LSG meetings was a great enriching and learning experience.
Summary Expertise:
Co-production and implementation of local policies have always been core topics of my professional activities as an urban planner. I can offer a broad expertise of participatory methods and tools for urban development partnerships, local support groups and civic involvement and activation in local action planning processes. I am actively involved in national, federal State (Land) and European reflections on the urban dimension of structural policies. I am working on innovation-led projects with implications from local practice to national policy debate within the National Urban Development Policy scheme of the German ministry – an initiative directly following the principles of the Leipzig charter on sustainable integrated urban development.
Informations
Residence location:
Germany
Languages:
German - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
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Foreign Languages level:
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Email:
potz@location3.de