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EUROPEAN NETWORK “A human scale city is a resilient city.” “Sustainable cities have to put people at the centre.” “Take every opportunity you get to give space back to the people.” HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... A HUMAN SCALE? TOOLKIT: HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... A HUMAN SCALE? TOOLKIT: HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... A HUMAN SCALE? OPENING STATEMENTS European Commission Vitoria-Gasteiz - DG ENV EUROPEAN In April 2020, Vitoria-Gasteiz Europe is one of the most was due to host the European urbanised places in the Green Capital Network NETWORK world, and how we design and (EGCN) workshop on “Human develop our cities has a major Scale Cities”. However, the HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... impact on our future. Cities COVID-19 pandemic forced us A HUMAN SCALE? should, ideally, be a place of to adapt, and turn the physical advanced social progress, meeting into a virtual one. TABLE OF CONTENTS providing high quality of life The challenges arising from and welfare for all. They the pandemic have even more should be a platform for democracy, cultural dialogue strongly shown us how important it is for a city to be Opening statements 3 and a place of green, ecological and environmental “human scale”. Such a city is designed and managed Why is now the time to act? 4 regeneration. Many European cities, like the members by focussing on people, and putting them – their health, Transformation stories 5 of the European Green Capital Network (EGCN), provide safety and well-being – above other considerations. Transformation pathways their residents with great urban areas to live in. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, we‘ve been committed to the Agenda Vitoria-Gasteiz - Green spaces, superblocks and creative design 6 Previous EGCN toolkits have covered how your city 21 for several decades, as well as to the SDGs, especially Lahti - A city by the people, for the people 9 can become future-proof, 100% renewable, the next SDG 11, which envisions inclusive, safe, resilient and Essen - New Ways to the Water 10 European Green Capital, and reach its waste reduction sustainable cities. For this reason, we have adopted Strasbourg - Co-Housing: The innovative way of city living 12 goals. This toolkit brings back a lot of those topics and policies that aim to improve and revitalise public illustrates that a city can only be sustainable if it provides spaces and green areas, reducing urban sprawl and Learning from the best 14 quality of life for all. A people-centred approach is increasing urban stability and citizen health and welfare. Crises and the human scale city 15 essential in creating the city we so often envision in our Particularly important among these policies are the It’s your turn 16 future - a human scale city. In times of crisis, like the Green Urban Infrastructure Strategy and the Sustainable This is not the end 18 COVID-19 pandemic, the need for such a city becomes Mobility and Public Space Plan. A critical development in even more evident. mobility has been the introduction of the “superblock” Imprint 19 as a basic spatial unit for the reorganisation of the city’s We must leave no one behind and focus on creating cities mobility networks, which makes urban mobility people- with a high degree of social cohesion. For this reason, a centred. Other measures, such as encouraging cycling just transition is one of the pillars of the European Green and conditioning urban paths, are also helping to reduce This toolkit covers the following indicator areas for Deal, and the Just Transition Mechanism mobilises at the use of private cars. the European Green Capital Award: least €150 billion for that purpose. Today’s major public health and economic crises have only served to reinforce More vegetation and an array of nature-based solutions Air Quality Europe’s common resolve to build back greener and (NBSs) are being introduced in the urban space. The Noise more resilient and to transform Europe’s economy for a city is becoming more natural, leading to an increase Waste sustainable future. in ecosystem services and improving its habitability and Water resilience against climate change. Nature and Biodiversity This toolkit showcases examples from EGCN members Sustainable Land Use and Soil that have used housing, participation tools, green This EGCN workshop came at a crucial moment, in Green Growth and Eco-innovation spaces and more to make their cities more just which a global pandemic is forcing us, more than ever, Climate Change: Mitigation and people-centred. Take inspiration, look at our to build more cities at a human scale that provide Climate Change: Adaptation recommendations and tools and let it help you become an environment which is beneficial to our health Sustainable Urban Mobility a more human scale city. and well-being. Energy Performance Governance Florika Fink-Hooijer Ana Oregi Bastarrika Director General for Environment Deputy Mayor European Commission Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council Cover image: Quintas Fotógrafos 2 3 TOOLKIT: HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... A HUMAN SCALE? TOOLKIT: HOW CAN YOUR CITY GET TO... A HUMAN SCALE? WHY IS NOW THE TIME TO ACT? TRANSFORMATION STORIES Urban areas are growing at ever greater speeds, and First, it embraces livable density, seeking to offer their environmental impacts are increasing accordingly. inhabitants a quasi-immediate proximity to social, Umeå: Hamburg: The larger a city grows, the more green spaces turn cultural, economic and environmental amenities. Gender and urban space The Elbe Boulevard into grey infrastructure. For instance, additional roads are being built to compensate for increased distance Second, it is an “eye-level city”, one built for pedestrians Umeå has a long history of working on gender Hamburg, like many other coastal cities, is being from city centers. As a result, a city’s arteries become and cyclists, with high-quality public places. In this equality, and has had a committee dedicated to forced to adapt to rising sea levels. One example congested, also leading to other forms of problems, type of city, life happens out in the open and people are working on the topic since the mid-1990s. One of of how this can be achieved, while also improving such as air pollution and noise. connecting and socialising, rather than remaining tucked the biggest challenges the city faces is influencing urban space, is the Elbe Boulevard project - a new away in high-rise city blocks and privatised spaces. behavioural change, especially in relation to flood protection facility. The former flood protection As we pause to contemplate this vision, we need to ask mobility. Every five years, Umeå conducts a travel structure had plain, steep walls which needed to ourselves: is this really the type of city that we want? The last two components are all about diversity. habit survey among residents. The results clearly be heightened from 7.2m to 8.9m. Rather than Fortunately, for many of us, the answer is no! Human scale cities come in many shades – not just show that women are using sustainable modes of simply increasing the height of the wall, the city 1 grey, but also green and blue. Parks, rivers and other transport in far greater numbers than men. For used the opportunity to completely rebuild the The “human scale city” is a far more sustainable natural spaces must also be equitably distributed this reason, getting men to use more sustainable structure, leading to the creation of the 1.3km- vision. It reconnects us to the historical European city, across the city’s neighbourhoods. Finally, a human modes of transport is one of the easiest ways to long Elbe Boulevard. White staircases now flank a which was pedestrian-oriented and combined density scale city is a city for all, taking into account the needs reduce emissions in the transportation sector. wide promenade made from black basalt. The Elbe with abundant public spaces and nature-rich areas. of all inhabitants in the city’s planning – from children Boulevard is not closed off but open on both sides Human scale cities are also well-connected with their to the elderly and newly arrived migrants to differently Compared to other cities, relatively few women and connects the harbour ferry terminal with the surrounding, often rural areas. abled persons. in Umeå are concerned about safety on public HafenCity, the surrounding neighbourhood, and transport. However, the city is interested in studying the famous concert hall, Elbphilharmonie. The A human scale city offers low-carbon mobility options Ultimately, a genuinely human scale city emerges from whether or not the bus driver is a key factor structure now includes places to sit, restaurants and alternatives to urban sprawl. The “15-minute the interconnection of these elements that yield a high here, providing a sense of security which might and cafes as well as underground parking. The city” pioneered by Paris’s Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is a quality of life for all inhabitants. disappear with the introduction of autonomous result is an open space in the city centre that is recent incarnation of this concept; it situates essential vehicles. However, there are, of course, public a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. services – including health, food, and leisure – within Europe is in a moment of societal transition, and the spaces in Umeå where women feel unsafe. In these The Elbe Boulevard opened in 2019 and cost €136 walking distance. cities that we plan now will have long-lasting effects. It areas, the city is trying to focus on places women million to complete. is therefore crucial that we develop clear and positive cannot easily avoid, like bus stops or certain travel Our vision of the human scale city is built around four visions that underpin the wellbeing of urban citizens and routes.