The New Leipzig Charter and its Relevance for Cities

The New Leipzig Charter gives cities a framework of argumentation for shaping locally-integrated urban development policy that places the common good at the centre of all decisions. The term ‘the commons’ outlines the need to organise all the concerns of the city — economic, social, ecological — in positive resonance with each other, and not against each other. Europe is strong when strong cities enable a healthy, peaceful, socially and economically good life for their citizens. The New Leipzig Charter inspires and supports the building of just, green and productive cities.

Ludwigsburg’s pop-up thinking implementation experience is an example of daring to experiment in the spirit of the common good: urban dwellers have gained public space, improving mobility and climate adaptation through upgrading and revitalising common areas. Hansaforum Münster is a pilot project, the main purpose of which is to create a space for civil society in an area marked by gentrification processes, thus securing the common good in this area. One of its main achievements is the establishment of the ‘Quartier-Gemeinwohl-Index’ (Neighbourhood Common Good Index).

Mr Kâhya stressed that municipalities need to be enabled to implement integrated and inclusive policies that tackle social issues and leave no one behind. This requires them to have the necessary budgetary and human resources to ‘reinvent’ governance procedures fit for the 21st century. Introducing the concept of noaberschap as the ‘local’ approach to the common good in the Eastern region of the Netherlands, Mr Moormann highlighted that, in rural areas, stronger citizen bonds facilitate relatively successful management of public goods that are under pressure, such as housing or care.

Herne is implementing its ‘Urban – Digital – International’ Smart City & Society strategy. This entails all citizens experiencing digitalisation together, embracing it in the spirit of climate and resource protection. Oldenburg is also implementing a Smart City strategy, which includes e-government targets, as well as citizen-centred projects such as the Civic Data Lab. In the city of Karlsruhe, enhancing citizen participation is essential to ensure digitalisation fosters public welfare and does not create new inequalities.

The DutchG40 Smart Cities network supports citizens’ involvement in urban transformations. Relevant projects often deal with sustainability, connectivity and innovation, for instance in the field of smart mobility. The COVID-19 pandemic evidenced the need to move away from cars and to leave more space for biking and walking. An example is Apeldoorn’s roll-out of Artificial Intelligence solutions in public traffic management that give priority to cyclists, depending on weather conditions.