BEST METROPOLISES Final Conference 18 April 2013, Warsaw ESPON evidence on European cities and metropolitan areas Michaela Gensheimer
Structure of Intervention Content Part I: What is the ESPON 2013 Programme? Part II: European territorial evidence on cities and metropolitan areas by ESPON
ESPON 2013 Programme What? Research & targeted analyses on European territorial development for EU 27 + 4 MS Development of scientific platform and analytical tools (e.g. database, territorial indicators, territorial monitoring) Why? Support policy development with evidence on European territorial structures, trends, perspectives, policy impacts
ESPON 2013 Programme Mission: Provide comparable information on territorial dynamics that can reveal territorial capital and potentials Principles: Demand driven, usability, flexibility, continuity, timing, transfer, quality, complementarities Budget 2007-13: 47 mill Euro 34 mill. Euro from European Commission 13 mill. Euro from 31 participating countries
Why a European perspective in policy development? Challenges for creating growth and Cohesion: Economic downturn and crisis: Asymmetric impact, recovery and unemployment, young generation, regional diversity, innovation towards green, low carbon economy Connecting and changing world: New emerging markets, era of new strong world economies (China, India, Brasil, etc.), a larger territorial context for Europe, connecting gateway regions and cities Climate change: Mitigation and adaptation, CO2 reduction, new hazard patterns and new territorial opportunities Demographic changes: Ageing of the population and internal migration flows and external migration pressures Connectivity and accessibility: Infrastructure deficits, transport increase, saturation of EU-corridors, environmentally friendly solutions Energy challenge: Security of supply, alternative energy sources, fluctuation of energy prices, diversity of regional vulnerability EU enlargement: Geographic integration, Territorial imbalances, Integration of new territories, their regions and cities
Structure of Intervention Content Part I: What is the ESPON 2013 Programme? Part II: European territorial evidence on cities and metropolitan areas by ESPON
Europe is the world hub for transnational businesses Presence of international firms Most headquarters are located in core of Europe (Pentagon) More than 57% of employees in European transnational headquarters work here Outside this area, many capital cities play important roles London and Paris dominant global players
Smart growth: Higher shares of ICT employment in urban areas Most capital city regions, and some other international metropolitan areas, display high ratios of ICT employment, in contrast to rural areas.
Sustainable growth: Persisting urban-rural divide in accessibility Accessibilities for capital regions/main agglomerations differ significantly from those for rural, peripheral and landlocked regions European potential accessibility, intermodal (ESPON = 100)
Inclusive growth: Gender ratio imbalances condition territorial developments Women > men in urban centres. Men > women in rural areas.
Role of secondary cities Performance of cities crucial to competitiveness Economic contribution of capital & second tiers varies Capitals dominate, but size gap varies, in some cases falling Capitals dominate national economy more in east than west Many second tiers show growing contribution to national prosperity Some second tiers outperform capital
Few Exceptions - Top Secondary Outperforms Capital: Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Ireland
Top Secondary Lags Capital by 5-20%: Spain, UK, Netherlands, France
Top Secondary Lags Capital by 20-30%: Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Portugal
Policy implications and prospects Relationship capital-secondary cities not zero sum game but win-win Second tiers could absorb growth from capital when costs to it outweigh benefits Smaller countries & east less scope develop second tier cities But policy aim should still be more high performing second tiers Polycentric development & networks connecting cities can help boost secondaries critical mass and impart agglomeration advantages
Smart metropolitan development Technological Innovations Economic Restructuring Inclusion Sociodemographi cprocesses Metropolisation Smart Metropolitan Development Polycentricity Competitiveness Governance Smart metropolitan area = functionally integrated metropolitan area where processes of both competitive and inclusive development take place. Processes of metropolisation (e.g. spread of settlements across admin. units) and development of larger territorial context (polycentric develop.) play a role.
Recommendations for smart metropolises New definitions of metropolitan regions Stakeholder cooperation within metropolitan regions Relational capital through improved conditions of cooperation Balanced strategies (competitive/inclusive) on the basis of metropolitan profiles Include other metropolises in your macro region in cooperative activities
More Information Thank you for your attention Please visit www.espon.eu