At the closing conference, ReUrbA, the European project for urban regeneration, presented its Statement for Strong Cities. It was based on 5 years experience with innovative methods in concrete urban regeneration projects in London, Saarbruecken, Newcastle, Rotterdam and South-Holland. And it was based on interviews with twelve leading European thinkers on cities’ development.

Cities are bastions of economic, cultural and social growth. Cities are meeting places. People go there to earn money, to learn, to exchange ideas and to create relationships. Cities are focal points for international competition and breeding grounds for future economies. Cities are the carriers of the cultures of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Core values of European cities are the public domain, diversity, exchanges and the re-use of the historical context.

Urban Conditions

1. Urban development = People
Urban development must focus on investing in people and then on investing in areas. It must always understand the undercurrents: the economic, cultural and social forces in and around the urban area.

2. Urban development = Stimulus
Urban development must facilitate dynamic social and economic networks, using cohesion and habitability as catalysts. It needs to tap into and activate urban potential, talents and energy.

3. Urban development = Smart Coalitions
Urban development needs to focus on smart coalitions of users and investors. It should create the conditions for quality and bring new inspiration. In that way, it brokers between stakeholders and links different scales of activity.

4. Urban development = Future
Urban development needs to focus on quality for now and for 30 years from now. New value-oriented investment strategies are needed. These strategies assume active steering and returns in the long term.

Urban thinkers

The Statement offers a leading view on European’s cities, but the foundation underneath the Statement is equally appealing.

Please, let us introduce:

Sir Peter Hall Professor Planning Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College London	Tracy Metz Journalist for NRC Handelsblad, teacher Planning at Harvard University, author of 'FUN!'	Alan Simpson Labour MP for Nottingham South, also known as the rebel MP. Well known for his environmental approach
Rinnooy Kan Chair of the Dutch SER, the government’s Social Economic Council, previously chair of VNO-NCW	Rudy Stroink Director TCN Property Projects, a developer with a view and with international projects	Alain de Botton One of today’s leading philosophers, among others author of ‘The Architecture of Hapiness’
Arnold Reijndorp Urban Sociologist, urban development and society, University of Amsterdam, independent advisor	Hardt-Waltherr Hämer Architect and professor. Founder of the '12 Grundsaetze fuer behutsamen Stadterneuerung' in Germany	Wolfgang Kil Architecture critic and publicist, author of many works about architecture and planning, and Shrinking Cities
Reinier de Graaf Achitect and co-owner of OMA, The Office for the Metropolitan Architecture	Joost Schrijnen Then director of the Province of South Holland, now of the new Structure Plan for the extension of Almere	Danuta Hübner EU-commissioner for the Regional Policy, which is responsible for investment programmes in cities