Marco Cremaschi

1
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
Why Urban Policies in Europe? because cities
are already involved in urban policy making
Cities and metropolitan regions are focusing on a
broad range of policies but urban regeneration,
technological development and big event
policies are not mutually exclusive.
2
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
The debate on competitiveness is flourishing, but
it sometimes overestimates theoretical issues
(for example, the relevance of place rather than
firms, or the expansion of the service industry
rather than the transition to a knowledge based
economy).
3
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
A survey of urban policy in Italian regions
cities and metropolitan regions observed (but the
results can probably be extended more generally),
are focusing on a range of policies much broader
than one would expect.
4
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
The range of urban policies is much broader than
expected, and the policy mix is similar in ob. 1
and ob. 2 regions
5
A frequent policy mix
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006

• Economic development fostering the expansion of
  the service industry, along with tourism
  activities, and the heritage
• Infrastructure and urban renovation policies (yet
  only ad hoc programmes)
• NE regions deal with marginal territories
• Centre regions are very differentiated

A concern for social issues in Southern regions
only
6
However, cities and regions seem to focus on
different policies
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006

• This is partly obvious, given the institutional
  differences and the missions pursued.
• It is also a matter of different organisational
  culture.

Some of the big cities are more active than small
regions
7
Fostering efficiency either a broad, or a narrow
concern
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006

• the relevance of firms (competitiveness is a
  feature of business, not of territories,
  regardless of scale),
• vs. the relevance of place (Competitive advantage
  include economic, as well as social, political,
  and geographical factors)

8
The transition towards the service economy which
model?
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006

• the enticement of growing firms (Competitiveness
  reflects the capability of an economy to attract
  and maintain firms with stable or rising shares
  in activity, while maintaining stable or
  increasing the standard of living for those who
  participate in it)
• vs. the expansion of the service industry
• (Competitiveness reflects the ability to
  overcome changes, not only in factor but in
  economic structure as well. Organizational and
  institutional changes are as important as
  economic investments)

9
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
A conceptual map of urban policies I
10
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
A conceptual map of urban policies II
11
Urban policies in Italy
12
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006
barcelona
Helsinki
Roma
Berlin
Torino
Napoli
A conceptual map of urban policies III
13
Three issues
Marco Cremaschi, Università Roma Tre, District,
Prato, 9 marzo 2006

• Cities and national policies who does what
• Cities and firms who gives what
• Strategy and change a long term assessment