Future in Places. «Molinay 2017»: how to deal with futures at the scale of an urban area

Transcription

1 FUTURES & REGIONS Making Futures Work for Regional Development Futurreg project final conference Sligo, 9 October 2007 Future in Places «Molinay 2017»: how to deal with futures at the scale of an urban area

2 Structure of the presentation - Rationale of Molinay 2017 (context, objectives, motivation) - Methodology and process - Specific features - Lessons learned

3 Molinay 2017 : Localisation DPPE Acho Molinay 2017 FOR-LEARN The Molinay area is part of Seraing, a city ( inh.) that lies near Liège, Wallonia, Belgium people live in the Liège area, often presented as the economic heart of Wallonia. MLP Z 2020

4 Molinay 2017 : context 1) The Molinay area is declining for 30 years This area is heavily marked by industrial history (steel industry, currently owned by Arcelor- Mittal) and has not yet recovered from the industrial crisis. Poverty, insecurity, empty shops and black spots are common images as the Dardenne brothers (moviemakers) show in their awarded films.

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6 Molinay 2017 : Context 2) The city Master Plan Since 2001, the local authorities work on a Master Plan for the whole industrial valley. The aim is to transform the image of the city and to improve living conditions through various means: redevelopment of land, green investments, attraction of investors, development of PPP, etc. The Molinay area will be marginally affected by this plan, and possibly negatively.

7 Molinay 2017 : Context 3) The reopening of the blast furnace - In 2007, the economic context is hesitating. Steel demand is increasing. Arcelor-Mittal decides to reopen the blast furnace n 6 of Seraing in November This industrial unit is located at the bottom the Molinay area. - Perspectives are not bright for the area: investments outside its limits, pollution and noise coming back, declining commercial context, impoverishment of the population There is a need to transform this undesired scenario of the future

8 Molinay 2017 : the application manager - A wish : The «Centre d Action laïque» of the city of Seraing ( works in the Molinay for 10 years as field actor. It wants to overcome those difficulties and to participate more actively to recovery of the city. - The CAL is a non profit making organisation invested in the participation of all the citizens to the management of the city. Its promotes democracy, freedom of thought, multiculturalism and tolerance.

9 Molinay 2017 : the launch of the exercice Objectives To develop a mobilising project for the area, for and with its inhabitants (bottom-up approach) in order to fill in the gaps of the city s master plan where the Molinay area is concerned. Time scale : 10 years forward => 2017 (10 years backward: arrival and establishment of the CAL in the area)

10 Molinay 2017 : Methodology Evaluation of the process and outputs 4 Definition of the Strategy and action plan December Steering and monitoring of the implementation Participation 3 Building of a common vision November Prepartion of the foresight exercise 2 1 Foresight diagnosis (actors and factors) April 2007 Identification of the Long terms issues June October 2007

11 Molinay 2017 : Tools Evaluation of the process and outputs 6 0 Prepartion of the foresight 4 Definition of Strategy and action plan 5 Steering and monitoring of the implementation Participation 3 Building the common vision Future workshops Scenario building 2 1 Foresight diagnosis SWOT analysis Setting out the Long terms issues Future workshops Experts panel

12 Molinay 2017 : the process Evaluation of the process and outputs 6 0 Prepartion of the foresight 4 Definition of Strategic axis 5 Steering and monitoring the implementation 3 Building the common vision Foresight diagnosis 19 april 2007 AFOM meeting Participation 2 1 Setting out the Long terms issues

13 The Molinay area : first insights of the diagnosis Strengths -Compact urbanism -Strong cultural diversity - Will of the actors - historical patrimony -The geographic situation - Opportunities -The city project for redevelopment (masterplan) -A new mayor -The trend towards sustainable development -A regional will to develop the Liege area -A stronger media interest for locals actions - Weaknesses - The industrial pollution - The negative image of the area - Insecurity problems and feelings - The commercial decline of the area - Difficulties with the teenagers - A nostalgy of the past - A weak accessibility - Threats - The housing policy / Risks of ghettos - The economic context - The Move of the public services (city) out of the area -

14 Molinay 2017 : the process Evaluation of the process and outputs 6 0 Prepartion of the foresight 4 Definition of Strategic axis 5 Steering and monitoring the implementation Foresight diagnosis 19 april 2007 AFOM meeting Participation 1 3 Building the common vision 2. Setting out the Long terms issues Three futures workshops were organised in June Participative method (World Café)

15 Molinay 2017 : the process 6 3. Building the common vision 0 Prepartion of the foresight A first event has been organised on Sunday 9th September with the inhabitants of the area: 99 were present to evoke pictures of their 1 Future Foresight diagnosis 4 19 april 2007 AFOM meeting Participation 2 3 Building the common vision

16 Next steps - An interim report is being finalised: «diagnosis and issues»; - The definition of the shared vision for the area is in progress and will be further developed in November together with the local actors and inhabitants; - One meeting is foreseen with a panel experts in order to enrich the process; - On these bases, a task-force will set up an action plan based on a limited number of priorities

17 Molinay 2017 : first lessons learned - Processus still ongoing - Small territorial size does not mean less complexity ( ) - Small territorial size allows to mobilise almost all relevant stakeholders (and might impact on their work) - Small scale approach (and possibly concrete solutions) to large scale problems (e.g. Arcelor Mittal in my garden) - Nice way to speak about Europe with M. and Ms. Smith - Local foresight challenges the defensive attitude of public authorities (proactivity instead of preservation of immediate interests long-term perspective) - A bottom-up process must not forget to integrate top down aspects and to attain political legitimacy - At this level, something must happen! One must not deceive the expectations of the citizens. Not just a question of means, but also of results

18 Molinay 2017 : a citizens project - Participation is an essential feature of the exercise. - The World Café is a creative process for facilitating collaborative dialogue and the sharing of knowledge and ideas to create a living network of conversation and action. - In this process a café ambiance is created, in which participants discuss a question or issue in small groups around tables. - At regular intervals the participants move to a new table. One table manager stays and summarises the previous conversation to the new table guests. - Thus the proceeding conversations are cross-fertilised with the ideas generated in former conversations with other participants. - At the end of the process the main ideas are summarised in a plenary session and follow-up possibilities are discussed. (Participatory Methods Toolkit. A practitioners manual. New edition, 2005, Baudouin foundation

19 Molinay 2017 : a citizens project - The organisation of a festive meeting on Sunday the 9th September inside the cultural centre of Seraing which is located in the Molinay - Objective : contact 100 persons from the area - Outputs : a desired future for the area - 5 spaces : - imagination : with the help of pictures of the Molinay, symbols (street furniture, greenery ), scissors and glue, one can imagine the future area ; - memory : the work of the CAL during 10 years is presented; - discovery : example of other urban declining areas that have been transformed; - reflexion : a futures workshop (with translation and recording). «In 2017, you go out from your home, could you describe what you see, what you hear?» - practical aspects : crèche and a convivial dinner (buffet).

20 Molinay 2017 : a territorial foresight exercice - A first attempt at practicing Futures at a very local level! - A element of a wider regional network : the Walloonian territorial intelligence network Acho Molinay

21 Thank you! Institut Destrée Michaël Van Custem / Céline Hermand vancutsem.michael@institut-destree.eu Centre d Action Laïque de la Province de Liège Cécile Parthoens / Nathalie Boinem seraing@calliege.be