Urban Planning and European Innovation Policy: Achieving Sustainability, Social Inclusion, and Economic Growth?

Abstract

Innovation has become a guiding principle for European Union policy. Funding schemes, research, and planning across all Member States are expected to be innovative. This article provides a critical analysis of the drivers and effects of this evolution. While positive results have been achieved due to innovation policies, this article proposes that taking a wider critical perspective reveals important caveats. The article zooms in on the EU’s innovation policies by analysing policy documents, projects funded, and on-the-ground impact on three citizen initiatives. The analysis asks whether and how the EU’s self-set goals of sustainability, social inclusion, and economic growth are approached and met in them. The findings suggest a problematic funnelling process. First, an emphasis on innovation is created with the objective of systematically unblocking resistance to the development and implementation of novelties in the name of competitiveness, job creation, and economic growth. Second, the idea of innovation is very loosely defined, while, when translated into urban planning, it is interpreted narrowly in terms of efficiency and behavioural change, digitalization, and smart technologies. As a result, (narrowly defined) innovation-led economic growth begins to supersede alternative values and visions for the future of European cities and regions. This can represent a problem for EU Member States as it creates a very limited, risk-based, and divisive direction of development. To contribute to the (re-)establishment of alternatives, this article finally offers policy recommendations primarily concerned with the reinstatement of the public interest beyond innovation-centred planning perspectives.

Setting the Social Monitoring Framework for Nature-Based Solutions Impact: Methodological Approach and Pre-Greening Measurements in the Case Study from CLEVER Cities Milan

“…The authors have related only the positive responses recorded from each question (Table 4). The reason for this decision is that the final aim of this research article is to provide insight into simple quantitative analysis and methods to support NBS pre-greening procedures and the co-implementation phase [25,28,63,[81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89]. Hence, the percentages or numbers reported below refer to the highest positive value recorded in each category: very important or very satisfied on Likert scale questions; yes (or only one category) in Binary questions; for multiple choice or ranking scales, the first four priorities are considered in the matrix.…”

Digital Technologies for Urban Metabolism Efficiency: Lessons from Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy

“…From an economic point of view, the considerable costs of designing, installing, integrating, maintaining, and reprogramming advanced digital technologies undoubtedly represent an obstacle for poorly organized or less developed cities [187]. In this regard, the search for funding for the implementation of digital technologies is crucial for the cities involved in the transition of urban circularity [188]. Specifically, the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which include regional funds (ERDF) and agriculture and rural development funds (EAFRD), and Smart Specialization Strategies (RIS3) contribute significantly to the dissemination of circular and digital initiatives in Europe [189][190][191].…”

Social Inclusion in Cities

“…The regulation of urban space is still highly gendered and is used to legitimize gender oppression and regulate sexuality. Valentine (1989) for example has long described the heterosexuality of public spaces and contends that women are often constrained into the restricted use and occupation of public space. Patriarchal societies limit women's mobility in a gender partitioning of urban space.…”

“…There is the intersectionality of social differences (Cho et al, 2013;Hancock, 2016;Valentine, 2007). Social differences overlie each other from every angle from parallel to orthogonal, creating differences within differences.…”