Urban policy is a framework for coordination and implementation of public policies at the local, urban and metropolitan levels. Recently, urban policy has received increased attention at the EU level, where the EU Urban agenda is used as the umbrella framework for urban policy, as well as at the global level through the New Urban Agenda, which encourages countries to adopt national urban policies.
Within the European Union, urban policy promotes sustainable and integrated urban development. For 10 years, IPoP has been participating in the URBACT programme, the mission of which is to promote and support sustainable and integrated urban development. It is aimed at connecting cities and strengthening the central role of cities in coping with increasingly complex social changes. The program supports the strengthening of networks between cities, learning from the experience of others and from the transfer of good practices to improve urban policies and the management of urban areas. With its experts, it helps cities to develop innovative and sustainable practical solutions that include the environmental, social and economic dimensions, and take into account the principles of public participation.
IPoP, together with the Association of the Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia, supports the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning in the implementation of the urban policy and the transfer of experience from the URBACT programme. The activities in the coming years are mainly based on the transfer of experience and knowledge between cities and municipalities.
In the context of urban policy, we focus in particular on small and medium-sized cities, where:
- We help with the drafting and implementation of strategic documents in various fields, from sustainable mobility to the management of public green spaces
- We support the exchange of experiences and good practices between municipalities across Slovenia and Europe through the organization of excursions, study visits and exchanges
- We spread knowledge of good practices through the organization of conferences
In recent years, IPoP has prepared several strategic documents for municipalities, for example, SUMP for the Municipality of Tržič or the Strategy for Managing Public Green Areas in the Municipality of Ankaran. We participated in the process of preparing sustainable urban strategies in city municipalities and in analyzing their performance at EU level. We organize study visits for municipalities, as well as international and national conferences.