A new report says cities worldwide face the challenge of growing economically while balancing the social and environmental side to remain sustainable. They need urban projects that have a clear vision and goals, are well managed and involve a broad range of parties working together, the report says.
This is one of the findings of produced by the European Institute for Comparative Urban Research (Euricur), PwC and the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies. The report analyses 24 urban projects worldwide.
The report looks at how cities can achieve good growth while nurturing sustainable competitiveness; how they can keep growing and developing over time while fostering social cohesion; and environmental quality.
The report says there is not one single path to sustainable competitiveness, there are certain ingredients to success. These include:
- Collaborative power: In the most successful projects, leadership is distributed across multiple organizations, working together. These include the private sector, universities, citizens and the non-for-profit sector. Good partnerships bring in additional knowledge and expertise, financial resources and legitimacy.
- Capabilities: Beyond the role of partnerships and leadership, the report identifies several other key ‘enablers’ include good communication; smart financial solutions; and agile city administrations capable of adapting to change.
- Choices: The report identifies key choices and dilemmas that urban managers should consider when planning for sustainable competitiveness in cities.
- A new type of urban manager: Successful urban projects require a new kind of urban manager with multiple skills, who can connect and distribute power to other stakeholders within and outside the public organization.