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1. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
LUDA at
Informed Cities Forum
Making research work for local
sustainability
Newcastle 14-16 April 2010
Session:
Sustainability tools for
Local Governments
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Marta Berni (University of Florence)
in cooperation with Bernhard Müller (IOER)

2. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
LUDA
Improving the Quality of Life in
Large Urban Distressed Areas
5th Framework Programme of European Commission
Key Action:
“City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage”
February 2003 – March 2006
Lead Partner:
Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development (IOER)
Project Director: Professor Bernhard Müller, Dresden
Marta Berni University of Florence 2

3. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Project background
The majority of cities in Europe, including
central and eastern Europe, have large urban
areas suffering environmental, social and
economical distress that results in political
pressure to make rapid improvements to the
quality of life.
Marta Berni University of Florence 3

4. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Project Goals: Two perspectives
Research perspective
• To Enhance the knowledge on urban distress and
tools for urban rehabilitation and improvement
• To better know the factors for success and failure
• To test the applicability of methods
Practical perspective
• To elaborate and provide decision-making aids
• To facilitate learning processes within cities
Marta Berni University of Florence 4

5. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Q 1:
What has been the role of local authorities
in our project?
Q 2:
At which stage have they been involved
(e.g. in preparation of the proposal, in
developing and/or testing the tools)?
Marta Berni University of Florence 5

6. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
LUDA project partners
Marta Berni University of Florence 6

7. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
LUDA project partners
• 10 research institutions
• 6 partner cities
• 12 reference cities
Marta Berni University of Florence 7

8. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Partner cities’ role in LUDA project
Partners Cities were involved in all processes as equal partners;
they already joined the research project during the project
preparation phase.
Partner Cities supported the project during the preparation phase:
• funding and hosting 2 preparatory meetings
• formulating problems
• identifying objectives
and in the research /operative phase:
• participating in the development of new tools
• testing new tools and procedures
Dresden and Florence had a leading role
Marta Berni University of Florence 8

9. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Work flow
Marta Berni University of Florence 9

10. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Role of reference cities
Reference cities were selected in the first stage
of the project as:
• a reference panel for LUDA research
• a source of practical experience in applying
regeneration policies in LUDA
• good practice examples which provided:
– lessons learnt in the rehabilitation process
– innovative solutions for new redevelopment
strategies
Marta Berni University of Florence 10

11. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Q3 :
Based on our experience, what were the
what were the biggest problems/barriers
faced in cooperating with local policy-
makers?
Q4:
Based on our experience, what were the
most important advantages/opportunities
resulting from the cooperation?
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12. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Problems and barriers
No major barriers except from the ones to be
expected:
Some cities were more active than others
Mutual understanding between practitioners and
researchers needed time
Mutual understanding among cities needed time
(e.g. Florence as WP leader was affected)
Sometimes there were differences between
political decision makers and planners in cities
Agenda of research did not always correspond
with agenda of practice
Marta Berni University of Florence 12

13. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Main advantages of cooperation
between researchers and policy-makers
Influence worked in two ways:
Adequate planning research output – including decision
support tools and methods – could help policy makers
understand, tackle and cope with the challenges
coming from socio-spatial inequalities, urban
fragmentation, environmental issues, population
decline.
At the same time the present-day problems of the civil
society and policy makers could influence the
orientation of the scientific investigation toward useful
objectives, avoiding auto-referential studies
Marta Berni University of Florence 13

14. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
LUDA definition
Large urban distressed areas (LUDA) are understood
as parts of cities with complex problems regarding
quality of life, e.g. economic, social, environmental
conditions, urban structure and institutional capacity.
They are usually not homogeneous but comprise both,
substandard areas with multiple deprivations and more
prosperous and rather intact areas at the same time,
which may be functionally interlinked with each other.
Marta Berni University of Florence 14

15. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Main features and challenges of LUDA
1. Large dimension:
• Spatial
• Demographical
• Functional
2. High complexity due to:
• Social, economical and environmental
interrelated problems
• Different actors with different or conflicting
objectives, interests and expectations
3. Uncertainty regarding:
• The present conditions
• The options for future development
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16. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Integrated approach
The LUDA approach promotes
the integration between quality of
life and sustainable development
Marta Berni University of Florence 16

17. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Q 5:
How the results of our project can be of
use to local authorities?
Marta Berni University of Florence 17

18. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Use of LUDA Project results
According to our experience, at least two
relevant outcomes produced in LUDA research
have been of immediate use to local authorities:
• the area “Program” promoted in Florence
• the monitoring system tested in Dresden
and they are still used by the two municipalities
Marta Berni University of Florence 18

19. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Coordination:
Florence experience
To reverse the downward spiral that affects the LUDA,
Florence has developed a coordination tool aimed to:
• reduce the level of uncertainty
• create capacities of investment, control and
management
2 coordination levels:
• inside the municipality ⇒ to improve the public
decision making process
• among public and private actors ⇒ participation
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20. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Coordination through
“Area Program”
The area program is a governance tool to manage
urban transformation in a participatory way.
It has been developed within LUDA research and
adopted by the municipality to foster the internal
coordination.
It deals with:
Strategic Projects
Marta Berni University of Florence 20

21. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Strategic projects
Are projects whose direct effects and impacts inside and
outside the area change in a positive and structural way:
• the financial flows
• the main economic variables
• the creation and diffusion of a common knowledge
• the use of critical resources
• citizens’ participation and decision making capacity
• the levels of social inclusion
• the public–private partnership
Marta Berni University of Florence 21

22. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Monitoring: Dresden experience
A system for monitoring quality of life in LUDA
has to go beyond quantitative information
Perspectives
Objective situation Internal Perception External Perception
Planners
Statistical data Inhabitants
Media
Internal stakeholders
Investors
Experts
Marta Berni University of Florence 22

23. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Dresden
Monitoring
System
Marta Berni University of Florence 23

24. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
The LUDA Assessment Decision
Support System
www.luda-project.net
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25. Improving the Quality of Life in Large Urban Distressed Areas
Thanks for your attention
www.luda-project.net
Marta Berni University of Florence 25