An Integrated Urban Plan is a sustainability-centric strategic plan developed along the active participation of all concerned social groups and stakeholders on a well-coordinated and balanced manner.
Integration, on one hand, is understood in terms of stakeholders engaged who are to be integrated into a joint platform for planning, implementation and sustaining of innovative urban development projects. On the other, integration is also referring to a city’s existing sectorial strategies that are to be harmonized into an overarching plan encompassing a wide range of aspects of urban development.
Integrated urban development is a prerequisite for successful urban sustainability. Integrated urban development policy means simultaneous and fair consideration of the concerns and interests which are relevant to urban development. It is a process in which the spatial, sectorial and temporal aspects of key areas of urban policy are co-ordinated. The involvement of economic actors, stakeholders and the citizens is essential. Integrated urban development policy is a key prerequisite for implementing the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. All dimensions of sustainable development should be taken into account at the same time and with the same weight. These include economic prosperity, social balance and a healthy environment. At the same time attention should be paid to cultural and health aspects.
An integrated plan for sustainable urban development comprises a system of interlinked actions which seeks to bring about a lasting improvement in the economic, physical, social and environmental conditions of a city or an area within the city. The key to the process is “integration”, meaning that all policies, projects and proposals are considered in relation to one another. In this regard, the synergies between the elements of the plan should be such that the impact of the plan as a whole adds up to more than would the sum of the individual parts if implemented in isolation. In many Member States, city-wide and area-based development plans that have been prepared and adopted in accordance with existing planning protocols are likely to satisfy such a definition. Non-statutory plans and other policy documents approved following public consultation and appropriate community impact assessment might also provide an adequate basis for integrated urban development.
The main objective of this document is to provide guidance and recommendations for urban development professionals, decision makers and other stakeholders on developing integrated strategies for smart-oriented urban regeneration.
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This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 646511