The Urban Agenda in the European framework. International experiences on urban policies

Abstract

The implementation of the Spanish Urban Agenda constitutes both an opportunity to de­velop urban policies in accordance with the parameters of the 2030 Agenda SDG 11, and a challenge that is not without difficulties since it includes a varied list of subjects, which affect transversally and vertically various Administrations. The challenges of the 21st century city such as climate change, en­ergy transition, housing, circular economy, complementary urban-rural relations or the revitalization of the urban fabrics, demand a paradigm shift in planning and management, as a consequence of the transversality and complexity of all these subjects. Within this context, both the European and the Urban Agendas that have been developed by other countries constitute important references for its innovative methodology, based on the principles of multilevel governance, as well as for the concre­tion of its actions and its link with the economic programs, giving these documents a practical and effective content and scope. In turn, a comparative view of cities that have successfully carried out urban projects related to the model of land occupation, housing and energy transition can also give some keys to guarantee the achievement of concrete results in urban policies. As we will see, all of them have long-term stable strategies, plans with integrated approaches and concrete actions linked to economic programs that guarantee their implementation, as well as an evaluation of results over time, a collaborative participation of civil society, and a strong leadership of the Administration that plays an active role in the coordination and management of projects linked to an intermediation func­tion. In short, some keys connected with vertical and transversal multilevel governance, that the Span­ish Urban Agenda could constitute the opportunity to introduce in the context of its implementation.