>> A joint project of the South Transdanubia Chamber of Architecture, the South Transdanubia Cultural Industries Cluster and the Pécs-Baranya Chamber of Commerce and Industry <<

●● City Cooperation
City Cooperation is now launching dialogue and comprehensive discourse for professional and local citizens – the key issues in local urban development and the soon to be forthcoming renewal of the Urban Development Concept related tasks.

At the same time, City Cooperation has initiated the creation of a new forum of cooperation among a wide range of local stakeholders with vested interest, or with decision making competence, in the various urban development measures, including market players, professional, community or municipal actors. The key aspiration of City Cooperation is to become a forum of genuine co-ordination for the profession and the community, rather than one of purely academic analysis. Moderating such cooperation will constitute an attempt at contributing to renewing the actual practice of city planning in the city of Pécs.

●● The intended added value of City Cooperation
The renewal of the City Development Concept, due in 2012, coupled with the related necessity to create an updated future development policy for Pécs, constitutes a rare window of opportunity  to launch a process that can serve as a model for similar exercises undertaken in the future. The aim of the City Cooperation initiative is to offer inputs, assistance and cooperation in the development of a fresh alternative to urban planning that is based on an innovative and strategic perspective.
The municipal government is beyond doubt the body with the most profound knowledge about the city’s situation in its various detailed aspects as well as in its entire complexity. Nevertheless, invaluable input can be provided through partnership with the local professional and civil communities, in effective and systematically regulated cooperation with the municipal leaders of any given time. Our intention is to propose the City Cooperation programme as an efficient interlocutor moderating such professional and civil cooperation.

●● The ways City Cooperation can contribute to the renewed city development policy
 ● Obviously, a professional approach must go well beyond the seemingly democratic attitude of “giving a say to everyone in every matter”. City Cooperation is a forum with an ability to actively involve local stakeholders with an interest in various development efforts, establishing a common base of interests and objectives shared by all relevant actors.
 ● A key prerequisite to the success of such a process is a consistent commitment on the part of both the city’s political leaders and its civil actors. The process must be recognised as one of mutual confidence building, and one in which creditworthiness and openness are indispensable components. City Cooperation can contribute to raising awareness of this exercise as a process of change that is properly regulated and controlled, giving the process stability and continuity.

●● The benefits City Cooperation can deliver to the municipal management:

• From a public relations point of view, the process will allow for regular public consultation and the organisation of public events, thus improving the city management’s public profile and increasing the trust of citizens.
• A partnership based alliance will be created between the participants of the strategy building process where the municipal management can act as the instigator and leader of the process, proposing the public a long-term vision of the city’s future, and demonstrating the qualities of decisive action, systematic planning and responsible leadership.
• The sophisticated and integrated city strategy methodology can serve as a model for such organisations as the Alliance of Cities with County Status (to be supported by appropriate government PR and lobbying, in order to procure the necessary budget funding).
• Once the programme is launched, the municipality can join international initiatives and can apply for EU funding as part of international cooperation projects.

●● The benefits City Cooperation can deliver to the participating NGOs and businesses:

• They can take an active part in shaping the future development of Pécs, obtaining valuable experience in responsible participation in decision making.
• Long-term partnerships can be established both among these organisations and vis-à-vis the municipal management.