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
Structure of the presentation - Rationale of Molinay 2017 (context, objectives, motivation) - Methodology and process - Specific features - Lessons learned
Molinay 2017 : Localisation DPPE Acho + 2047 Molinay 2017 FOR-LEARN The Molinay area is part of Seraing, a city (61.000 inh.) that lies near Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. 600.000 people live in the Liège area, often presented as the economic heart of Wallonia. MLP Z 2020
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.
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.
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 2007. - 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
Molinay 2017 : the application manager - A wish : The «Centre d Action laïque» of the city of Seraing (www.calliege.be) 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.
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)
Molinay 2017 : Methodology Evaluation of the process and outputs 4 Definition of the Strategy and action plan December 2007 6 5 Steering and monitoring of the implementation Participation 3 Building of a common vision November 2007 0 Prepartion of the foresight exercise 2 1 Foresight diagnosis (actors and factors) April 2007 Identification of the Long terms issues June October 2007
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
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
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 -
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)
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
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
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
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 www.kbs-frb.be)
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).
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 + 2047 Molinay 2017 www.intelliterwal.net
Thank you! Institut Destrée Michaël Van Custem / Céline Hermand vancutsem.michael@institut-destree.eu www.institut-destree.eu Centre d Action Laïque de la Province de Liège Cécile Parthoens / Nathalie Boinem seraing@calliege.be www.calliege.be