Guidelines for integrated strategic urban development planning
The compact city model and its application into strategic urban development planning as a respond to urban challenges2017-2018 Contracting authority: Strelka KB
The u Lab was invited as a consulting partner by Strelka KB to collaborate with a guiding document taking European cities as a reference and focusing on the model of the compact city and its application into strategic urban development planning as a respond to urban challenges. Integrated strategic urban development planning is about future-oriented development that gives equal consideration to economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of the sustainable city. A guiding concept or "Leitbild" is a strategic tool to translate and plan the need to organize human settlement. It can be considered as a spatial, social and economical characterization of a desired state, providing long-term orientation and prioritization. In the European Union, the compact city guiding concept contributes to achieve the revitalization of urban centres, as well as a method to save resources and energy. In this city model, there is a preference towards internal development but this should not be confused with over-crowdedness and high density. The concept refers to urban growth within the given urban setting and structure. The compact city has a reputation of being a model that promotes sustainability.
Action framework and dimensions of sustainable urban development
Included in the discourse to enhance integrated strategic urban development planning are new governance structures and process-design based projects. In contrast to government, governance is referred to as the involvement of different stakeholders into the decision making in relation to processes of urban development. This non state actors include markets, networks, and civil society. People affected by changes of their environment develop a demand to be involved in decision making and a differentiation of their special needs. As a result, the societal potential of various participants is growing. Although urban development is never finished, regardless of the planning strategy, the concept of process-design based development refers to it as an open outcome, open to actors' and users' needs. This does not mean the developments are random or aimless. The direction of the process is determined by a superior guiding concept, like the compact city.
Spatial development strategy
Following the model of the compact city, the spatial development is the key field of action within integrated strategic urban development planning. Through the spatial development, mixed and higher-density land uses within the existing city limits can be promoted. This can be done, for instance, through the retrofitting of the existing built-up areas and the enhancement of the diversity of urban centres. In Germany, guiding principles are specified for the development or use of a site. They are translated into a catalogue of criteria, formulating certain aims for the future development of the site, such as accesibility for the public or cultural uses. The bidder has to submit a proposal meeting this criteria. This tool offers a transparent process with political support to apply the use-oriented award procedure instead of the usual highest bid award procedure. In this manner, it is ensure through a contract that the concept will be kept in the long-term.
