European research - Skills for the Future Symposium
This report examines the European skills issue around sustainable place-making and explores solutions to the skills gap that exists.
The research provides the learning for improving skills in the creation of successful places and demonstrates that there is a widespread interest in, and commitment to, creating and maintaining successful places.
The research is valuable for a number of different groups:
- For practitioners, it offers insights into different approaches to developing sustainable communities, good practice and lessons which can be shared.
- For policy-makers, it highlights different ways in which the skills and capacity needed for successful implementation of policies and programmes to improve places and build new ones can be addressed.
- For people living in communities who want to play their part in ensuring place-making programmes are successful, there are insights into different approaches to involve citizens and empower them to engage fully in partnerships.
Key findings are that:
- Although stakeholders are increasingly aware of the sustainable communities agenda, its profile needs to be raised further if the approach is to succeed, and the skills gaps be addressed.
- Strong leadership, an effective multidisciplinary and integrated approach and personal commitment are fundamental to the successful delivery of outcomes, and should therefore be the focus of skills development activity.
- Learning by doing is an effective approach to skills development. It is important that skills and knowledge are shared effectively between those involved in delivering sustainable communities.
- A balance needs to be achieved between physical intervention and the social and cultural dimensions.
- Community participation and ownership needs to be built more strongly into the process for designing and delivering sustainable communities.
- There is considerable scope for lessons and good practice to be shared more widely, both regionally, at country level and across Europe.
The analysis of research and initiatives identified in the scoping study was then developed further. Alongside this, case study material was produced on particular initiatives and good practice in relation to themes relevant to the Symposium:
| European Zone | Case Study | Level of Intervention |
| Eastern | Vilnius Strategic Plan | City |
| Eastern | RAVE Space Interreg | European Programme |
| Northern | Goteborg 2050 project | City |
| Northern | SmartLIFE project | European |
| Southern | Critical Urban Areas Programme | National |
| Western | Centres of Excellence for Sustainable Communities | Regional/National |
| Western | Greenwich Peninsula Development | Local |
| Western | Roubaix | Local |
| Western | KEI Expert Centre | National |
Download copies of the report
» Main research report
» Case Study 1 - Critical Urban Areas Programme
» Case Study 2 - Goteborg 2050 project
» Case Study 3 - Greenwich Peninsula Development
» Case Study 4 - KEI Expert Centre
» Case Study 5 - RAVE Space Interreg
» Case Study 6 - Roubaix
» Case Study 7 - Centres of Excellence for Sustainable Communities
» Case Study 8 - SmartLIFE project
» Case Study 9 - Vilnius Strategic Plan
