European City Charter

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The European City Charter in its two versions from 1992 and 2008 was adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe .

European City Charter (1992)

The first European City Charter was adopted by the Congress on March 18, 1992. It was the first of its kind and a milestone in recognizing the importance of urban development for our society.

For the first time, common principles were developed to adapt national policies to the needs of cities.

The objectives of the first European Urban Charter were in particular:

  • To provide practical help and a handbook by the city management for municipalities.
  • To present the main elements of a possible agreement on the rights of cities.
  • To be the basis of an international system of awards for cities that are committed to the principles of the Charter.
  • To present a visiting card for the Council of Europe on questions relating to the connection with the built environment and at the same time to present the findings that follow from the work of the Council of Europe, in particular that of the CLRAE, on questions of the city.

The charter contains recommendations from the congress and is intended to promote the further development of cities and their environment in the interests of and together with the population.

The charter is intended to provide practical assistance for elected local politicians in the most important local policy areas. The aim is to make cities a good place to work and live, where old and new complement each other.

The European City Charter also advocates a new transport and energy policy. Cities should be places of coexistence, they should connect people and not exclude them and they should open up to the disadvantaged and the disabled. European cities are cities that care for their environment and promote sustainable development and joint planning over a long period of time. Sport, culture and integration of the communities improve the quality of life of the inhabitants and the city as such is a factor in economic development.

The principles of the city charter are illustrated and underpinned by the many studies and publications of the congress on individual aspects of the charter.

European City Charter II - Manifesto for a New Urbanity (2008)

In 2008 the Congress presented a new city charter, the European City Charter II - Manifesto for a New Urbanity . The new city charter is intended to redesign, supplement and update the principles contained in the city charter and thus respond to the far-reaching changes in society, economy and culture that have led cities to face completely new challenges today. The European City Charter II was adopted on May 28, 2008 by the Chamber of Local Authorities and on May 29, 2008 by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

After an introduction, the charter emphasizes five principles in particular, which are outlined and described in more detail in the following text:

  • European cities belong to their city dwellers-citizens; they are an economic, social and cultural asset that future generations will inherit.
  • In the face of the great global challenges we face, European cities are the place for an historic compromise between economy, social relations and the environment.
  • European cities have a responsibility to develop a model of city government that takes into account the new demands of democracy, in particular participation. They are beneficial for the necessary democratic revitalization of our society.
  • European cities encourage creative diversity, they combine significant innovative forces. They are a privileged place for individual development and access to knowledge and skills. They are able to integrate the identity and the different cultures of the other and to enrich one another.
  • Today, European cities are the driving force behind prosperity and are heavily involved in globalization. They are a place where the knowledge economy, which is the future of economic growth in Europe, can develop optimally.

The European City Charter thus creates common European principles and concepts that enable cities to face today's challenges of urban society and the perspective of a new urbanity, i.e. a common way of life and a new culture of city life for the main actors of the urban development and for European urban citizens to develop.

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