EU Joint Research Center
2021
EU Joint Research Center and others
The "Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies" is a comprehensive resource designed to aid local authorities and stakeholders in the implementation of integrated urban strategies within the European Union's cohesion policy. Released by the EU Joint Research Center, this handbook serves as a valuable policy learning tool, tailored to meet the diverse needs of various territorial and administrative contexts. This handbook does not offer quick solutions; instead, it presents a wealth of suggestions on addressing the critical challenges of urban strategy design and implementation. By providing concrete examples and referencing existing studies, it equips users with practical insights necessary for navigating the complexities of sustainable urban development. At the core of the handbook are six essential building blocks: strategic dimension, territorial focus, governance, cross-sectoral integration, funding and finance, and monitoring. These components collectively represent the EU's integrated approach to urban development, highlighting the importance of collaboration among policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to foster effective urban strategies. Moreover, the handbook is underpinned by the data available in STRAT-Board, an online tool that offers an overview of sustainable urban development strategies implemented between 2014 and 2020. This resource not only enhances understanding but also promotes the sharing of best practices across different regions, ultimately aiming for more cohesive and sustainable urban environments throughout Europe.
The Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies provides valuable knowledge on how to implement integrated and place-based urban strategies under cohesion policy. It aims to serve local authorities, managing authorities and all other relevant stakeholders.
The Handbook is conceived as a policy learning tool, responding to the needs of different territorial and administrative contexts. It does not provide a ‘quick fix’, but rather, it offers suggestions on how to tackle key challenges during the process of strategy design and implementation, by giving concrete examples, and referring to existing studies and guidelines.
The Handbook addresses the EU’s integrated approach to urban development by means of six building blocks: strategic dimension, territorial focus, governance, cross-sectoral integration, funding and finance, and monitoring.
The Handbook is a joint initiative by the Commission’s Directorates-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and which benefits from active involvement from policymakers, practitioners, and scholars. The Handbook relies on data available in STRAT-Board, a database and online tool which provides an overview of SUD strategies implemented in 2014-2020.