Introduction
The PERFECT partner SASD (Social Ascention of Somogy Development, Communication and Education Nonprofit Ltd) from Hungary explains in this article what they are trying to achieve in the PERFECT project.
In Hungary, green sites are very often isolated within the urban built up area and not connected with a green network. Regulations define the need of enhancement of urban green areas including a biological activity value, with a methodology for calculation. These regulations determine the project concepts of any urban development actions.
SASD is looking to tackle this in the project by initiating public-private projects that support the sustainable urban environment. The consideration of biological activity value should also appear in the integrated urban renewal projects not only in spatial planning. Hungarian urban development process needs innovative solutions to regenerate green areas and improve the attractiveness of the built-up parts of towns.
Funding for green infrastructure – the Green City Call
The Hungarian Territorial and Settlement Development Operational Programme (TSD OP) is a centralised regional development Operational Programme incorporating territorial development objectives of all regions. The enhancement of environmentally friendly urban areas is a key development area that can be ideal for new enterprises. The TSD OP recognises the value of maintaining, enhancing and planning the connectivity for green areas, recreation and adaptation to changes in the built and natural environment.
The Green City call under TSD OP was announced for municipalities in 2016 and 2017. First of all, the call contains infrastructure developments that contribute to:
- The economic development objectives of TSD OP;
- Preserving the population, especially young people; and
- To improving the general environmental condition of settlements.
The Green City call supports innovative green design and maintenance that creates an environment that reflects the needs of the inhabitants. Urban rehabilitation developments are implemented in compliance with the integrated urban development strategies and other priorities of OP.
Apart from ensuring sustainable development, the actions will also contribute to the establishment of an ideal urban spatial structure. The involvement of local resources is one of the key criteria in implementation.
The projects include all social-economic, planning and implementation activities of the settlements affected by the development. These activities must contribute to economic and technical-physical renewal, protection of their natural and built environment and improving the population’s quality of life and supply and environmental conditions.
Summary
SASD is learning in a peer to peer group with the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RDA LUR). The results of the SWOT analyses that both partners carried out showed that there are areas of opportunity for them to learn from one another. RDA LUR is looking to understand how the Green City call is working in Hungary and how they can implement similar activities to ensure investment in high quality green infrastructure.
SASD are keen for their Action Plan to incorporate recommendations of “how to establish green projects” for the towns to use when putting together their projects, to be inserted in to the next call of their operational programme, and to provide a menu of options that they could take forward. They are looking to learn about how Ljubljana achieved the European Green Capital Award 2016 to help this aim. They would also like to create new regulations in green area design and how to develop projects. Both partners have agreed that capacity building of municipalities to bid for funding for green infrastructure is a key part of their work in PERFECT, and this will be a focus of their work.
