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MARCH 2006 development goalsarethusmoreeffectivelymetthroughthesepartnerships. increased environmentalawarenessandgoodpracticeamongstthepublic.Sustainable improved coordinationofregionalsustainabledevelopmentstrategies,butfacilitate betweenseveralmunicipalitiesandcivilsocietynotonlyresultinthe Partnerships and publicparticipationinthePortoRegion Planning forasustainablefuture–municipalcooperation MENTAL PLANFORTHEPORTOREGION) (SUSTAINABLE FUTURE–STRATEGIC ENVIRON- DE AMBIENTEDOGRANDEPORTO FUTURO SUSTENTÁVEL–PLANOESTRATÉGICO PROGRAM NAME involvement fromallactors. ment strategy, increasingresponsibilityand and implementationofthissustainabledevelop- public isintegraltothedefinition,identification of allmunicipalitiesintheregionandgeneral political andsocialperspectives.Theparticipation sustainability principlesfromenvironmental, development inthePortoRegion,thatconsiders monitor andreviseanactionplanforsustainable To develop,disseminate,implement, evaluate, entists, specialists andentrepreneurs. involves extensiveparticipation fromcitizens,politicians,sci- ities ofthePortoRegion, SEPisuniqueinPortugaland Developed throughapartnership betweentheninemunicipal- establish aregionalstrategic environmentalplan(SEP). University ofPorto.FuturoSustentável aimstosetupand in partnershipwiththeBiotechnologySchoolofCatholic Intermunicipalizado deGestãoResíduosdoGrandePorto, Futuro SustentáveliscoordinatedbyLIPOR–Serviço ABSTRACT G Case Study REATER P ORTO R EGION , P ORTUGAL Europe ampnumeros2004.asp?t=14 found at:www.amp.pt/ canbe Full financialinformation (2002): US$1,040,649,440. Total expendituresfortheregion Municipal Budget 814.7 km Land Area 1,262,582 (figurefrom2004) Population totalforregion Conde andVila NovadeGaia. PóvoadoVarzim,Porto, Vila do Gondomar, Maia,, Espinho, ing ninemunicipalities: compris- Region,, Porto MUNICIPAL PROFILE 2 Approach Futuro Sustentável develops ways through which municipalities can overcome such prob- lems. By integrating the environmental policies of nine municipalities into one shared agenda, sustainable development and its impact upon daily life becomes more coherent. Working together also increases the effectiveness of municipal actions for sustainable development, Porto municipality ensuring these occur in tandem with and com- plementary to the policies and needs of their neighbouring municipalities. Through this approach, Futuro Sustentável aims to overcome The project began in 2003. In the first phase, the gap between urban and rural areas. awareness-raising activities took place and the project structure was developed. The second The approach used also means that other chal- phase began the process of diagnostic-related lenges, such as regional economic development, initiatives, leading to assessment of the status are more likely to be tackled effectively as quo and priority-setting. The project is current- regional knowledge resources are shared and ly in its third phase, in which the SEP will be strengthened. published and elements of the SEP will be implemented. By placing emphasis on public awareness and participation – at regional and local levels - in the planning process, Futuro Sustentável pro- motes bottom-up, inclusive decision-making CASE processes and demonstrates that cooperation Context of region and municipalities between institutions and civil society in a com- The nine municipalities involved in this project plex region can result in coordinated action for are mainly urban, although there are important sustainable development. rural areas in the region’s hinterland. In these areas, agriculture and farming are important, and subsequently create different environmental challenges. Case description Futuro Sustentável is a three-phase process. In recent years the has The first phase saw the initial awareness-raising come under enormous pressure due to rapid and information activities, as well as the devel- population growth and the lack of a common opment of project structures. It was followed strategic plan for the region. Polluted water by a second phase in which an environmental courses, lack of gardens and green areas and diagnosis of the region and its needs was com- heavy traffic are some problems that require pleted, culminating in the creation of the SEP. joint intervention to overcome. The final stage, beginning in 2006, is the imple- mentation and evaluation of the SEP. Working independently, the municipalities of the region had difficulty in implementing mea- In the first phase, which began in 2003, a sures that could prevent some of these prob- ‘Coordination Group’ was established for the lems. It was realized that the Porto Region project. This group, financed by the project, is required integrated solutions and effective part- an advisory body on the strategies of the pro- nership-working in order to face its strategic ject. The Coordination Group authorize pro- economic, environmental and social challenges, ject decisions, which are then implemented by and to create a sustainable, prosperous region. the municipalities, financed from within their

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ICLEI–LOCAL G OVERNMENTS FOR S USTAINABILITY – CASE S TUDY Nº 91 – PORTO R EGION own budgets. LIPOR and the project’s paigns, thematic newsletters, the web portal Technical Group convene this group and drive www.futurosustentavel.org, and a range of Futuro Sustentável, yet do not have the right to agreements with media organisations responsi- vote at Coordination Group meetings. ble for dissemination across the region.

Coordination Group decisions are made by The second phase was diagnosis, with the members with equal voting rights – the mem- introduction of Green Auditing aimed at identi- bers include local and regional governments, fying local problems and promising opportuni- stakeholders such as NGOs and the business ties. Several tools were used for diagnosis, community, and related agencies from the including bibliographic research, field work, national government. The SEP is used to help questionnaires and, critically, extensive public define action guidelines and strategies for the consultations. The consultation and participa- Group, with municipalities free to choose tion of citizens enabled the municipalities to which recommendations are implemented and identify priority actions and to begin to define to what extent and scope. To date, the munici- a coherent strategy. palities have been very committed to the project and are active participants in the Coordination The European Union’s Urban Green Days 2005 Group. were a launch-pad for Thematic Steering Groups, which worked on four identified prior- In addition, every municipality created ity themes targeted by the Region’s ‘2005 ‘Environmental Councils’ that included mem- Global Report on Public Participation’. These bers from community organizations such as four strategic themes were: Water and River schools, local police or cultural organizations. Restoration, Education and Training for These Environmental Councils developed envi- Sustainability, Transport and Air Quality, and ronmental awareness-raising initiatives, defined Natural Protection (incorporating urban plan- community priorities and in phase 2, through ning and prevention of fires in natural areas). participation in the Green Auditing process and These Groups convened in professionally facili- the preparation of a municipal action plans, tated meetings, resulting in the refinement of helped implement specific steps. The the measures to be set up in the SEP. The Environmental Councils are mainly reflexive Technical Group of Futuro Sustentável coordi- consulting groups and do not have decision- nated these meetings, which aimed at maxi- making powers, yet municipalities have been mum involvement from all sectors and stake- responsive to these Environmental Councils holders. and considered their outcomes in planning processes. In addition, a regional conference on environ- mental issues was held in June 2005. At this Awareness-raising campaigns were undertaken event, the Aalborg Charter was signed by all throughout the region, with travelling exhibi- the municipalities participating in Futuro tions and workshops, leaflet and poster cam- Sustentável, demonstrating the commitment of

Participative workshops Left: Maia Right: Gondomar

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ICLEI–LOCAL G OVERNMENTS FOR S USTAINABILITY – CASE S TUDY Nº 91 – PORTO R EGION Municipal Environment Municipalities Councils

Coordinator Group dimensions of sustainable development, but also the oft-neglected social aspects. Project Managers: Lipor and Community ESB (Technical Group) Furthermore, coordinating the activities of municipalities is more effective and efficient Main Structures of the Project than single measures; duplication is avoided and resources are shared. all the municipalities to sustainable develop- ment. In addition, the conference presented As the third phase develops, municipalities will Sustainability Awards, commending excellent work in increasingly frequent and dynamic work by communities. strategic partnerships, increasing synergies and solving structural problems. The change to a In the third phase of the project, action plans strategic planning process will hopefully allow are being prepared for each municipality, the region to grow whilst preserving its natural emphasizing the critical priorities and initiatives and cultural heritage. for the region and municipality, as identified by the public consultation and thematic studies undertaken in phases one and two. These plans attempt to ensure the financing of the imple- LESSONS LEARNED mentation in municipalities for the duration of Promotional work helped the project to gain Futuro Sustentável. Furthermore, the SEP will credibility and was fundamental in encouraging be adopted and implemented with a continuous people to participate in meetings and other ini- process of monitoring and review to assess its tiatives. Futuro Sustentável showed the value of impacts, and to propose improvements and high-visibility projects and campaigning. modifications. However, it is still very difficult and time-con- suming to motivate citizens to participate in Results public hearings. This is mainly a result of many An initial result of the project is environmental years in which little or no citizens’ consulta- awareness amongst citizens, policy makers and tions were undertaken by governments and other regional actors. Increasing the quality of municipalities. In order to gain a representative information available for citizens, as well as the and numerous audience, a lot of thought and range and scope of opportunities for participa- consideration has to be given to the day, time tion, helps to transfer sustainable development and place of a meeting, and to issues such as from a political concept into the real world of transportation. citizens, hopefully laying the foundations for their ongoing commitment to sustainability. Second, by attracting the involvement of all stakeholders and in particular local govern- By facilitating access to environmental informa- ments, Futuro Sustentável secured the support tion, there has also been greater acceptance of and gathered the necessary momentum to the need for shared decision-making and coop- establish itself in the consciousness of commu- eration between stakeholders. In particular, the nities in the region. Systematic and structured development of a bottom-up approach and public participation in planning processes advancement of citizens’ consultations was a changed public perceptions about the relevance bold step in Portugal. of planning processes, challenging preconceived ideas and encouraging increasing numbers of By promoting higher levels of participation citizens into the consultation processes, creating from citizens, the project emphasizes not only a positive spiral. Another positive effect is high- the economic, environmental and political er community cohesion across the region.

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ICLEI–LOCAL G OVERNMENTS FOR S USTAINABILITY – CASE S TUDY Nº 91 – PORTO R EGION Stakeholder dialogue can still present problems, KEY REPLICATION ASPECTS as sectors and stakeholders who are not famil- Futuro Sustentável has demonstrated that the iar with partnerships are brought together. In involvement and commitment of local authori- addition, sometimes there is a gap between the ties in regional planning processes is an essen- daily management of these relationships and tial precondition for success – municipal coop- the planning processes. eration can address issues across a functional urban area effectively. This may serve as a good Finally, the SEP will focus on delivery and effec- example for participatory planning processes in tive implementation. Each measure will have its other urban areas. Committed local authorities agenda with responsible entities, actions, fund- add credibility to the project and act as man- ing and duration clearly identified. This will agers instituting and driving change. Moreover, ease management of the initiatives and make the efforts of one or two outstanding munici- the implementation process more transparent. palities can act as an impetus for other local governments in the region to follow the exam- ple – with active and engaged municipalities the process should be ceaselessly dynamic and resource efficient.

Public participation in functional urban areas is a critical but complex challenge – transparency and total commitment to involving the public in all stages of the planning process is required each and every day. The times and dates of meetings must be coordinated to maximize the levels of potential public participation; meetings must be planned carefully and be very interac- tive to facilitate discussion - e.g. using resume cards and vote systems to create more focused discussion that delivers effective and efficient outcomes. Furthermore, the integration of a range of civil society stakeholders such as busi- nesses, non-governmental organizations and government agencies acts as a forceful driver of transformation.

The success of the entire process is dependent upon a well-prepared, structured and resilient supporting group who must maintain excellent relations with the local media, civil servants and government technicians in the local author- ities. This guarantees the project’s institutional

to impleme support from within the authorities and guar- antees the means to promote the project exter- nally. Including opinion makers and strong entities from the outset will make it easier to increase credibility of the project. Publications and website of the project

di ostic

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ICLEI–LOCAL G OVERNMENTS FOR S USTAINABILITY – CASE S TUDY Nº 91 – PORTO R EGION Staff KEY CONTACTS The project team consists of eight persons in Dr. Nuno Barros the Technical Support Group and two persons Coordinator working at LIPOR. LIPOR is responsible for LIPOR – Serviço Intermunicipalizado de Gestão promoting the project and bringing together the de Resíduos do Grande Porto local authorities, while the Technical Support Apartado 1510 Group works as a consultant, managing all the 4435-996 Baguim Monte technical issues of the project, as well as orga- Portugal nizing the meetings. Telephone: +351 22 977 0100 Budget Fax: +351 22 975 6038 The total cost for Technical Support Group Email: [email protected] during the three-year project was US$ 531,195.17 plus VAT. Some additional costs Eng. Pedro Macedo are excluded from this figure and were covered Technical Support Group Coordinator on an ad hoc basis. Escola Superior de Biotecnologia – Universidade Católica do Porto Financing Rua Dr. António B. Almeida, s/n The project financing, guaranteed for the three 4200-072 Porto years of the project, is provided by LIPOR, Portugal with the understanding that a supra-regional authority will take over the project thereafter, Telephone : +351 22 558 0032 as coordinator and funder. Fax : +351 22 509 0351 Email : [email protected]

References

> www.futurosustentavel.org > www.lipor.pt

Acknowledgements

Futuro Sustentável was inspired by Dr. Fernando Leite, who mentored and supported the project. The project has also been helped by the active participation of communities and actors across the Greater Porto region, in particular the Technical Support Group guiding the pro- ject. The project has depended upon and received outstanding levels of commitment and interest from all participating municipalities.

Date Written

March 2006, ICLEI European Secretariat.

ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments implementing sustainable development. ICLEI’s mission is to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions. 16th Floor, West Tower, City Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 2N2 Tel: +1-416/392-1462 Fax: +1-416/392-1478 Email: [email protected] © 2006 by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. All rights reserved.

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ICLEI–LOCAL G OVERNMENTS FOR S USTAINABILITY – CASE S TUDY Nº 91 – PORTO R EGION