Regeneration Programme

In September 2001, the south-west area in Kolding was among the cities nominated for Baltic Cities Award. From 1997 - 2001, the area was part of the Government's urban regeneration programme "Kvarterloft". Its aim was to improve the quality of life through projects originating from the residents' own ideas through a planning process involving a close dialogue between citizens, municipality and politicians, local associations, businesses and institutions.

The neighbourhood improvement coordinator is now connected to the area as a consultant in order to solve problems associated with the project's final anchoring within the neighbourhood and also to anchor some of the experiences in the municipality. Dealing with "kvarterleft" has not only strengthened the interpersonal skills of the residents who became involved in the process, but has also gradually altered the way the administration handles cross-sectoral, multidimensional projects.

Community team - a way of working with local neighbourhoods. In order to support the area-based efforts in the municipality, plans are now being made for a new community team of municipality staff from different sectors to promote interdisciplinary thinking in all the different parts of municipality. The idea is that the Community team can quickly make a joint effort when problems arise in close cooperation with the individual sectors, and also spot negative development in the early stages. It is known from experience that in districts with a concentration of social problems, there is often a lack of cultural and leisure activities, poor green areas, etc. This can serve as a quick measurement and indicate if an extra effort should be made. The aim is to involve the residents in identifying the most important issues to be dealt with in the whole planning and decision- making process in each district. The philosophy is that the locals know where the problems and the resources are, so by involving them it becomes possible to awaken a slumbering civic society and benefit from the local knowledge.

A new role for municipality staff. To work with an area-based view instead of a traditional sectorbased view challenges the existing role of municipality staff. Instead of seeing local residents as clients or users and the municipality as the authority, the community team has to be consultative and see the local residents as active participants in the establishment of services.

Danish Building and Urban Research will follow the process in an action research project. Funding has again been secured from the Government's Urban Development Programme to continue developing the process in the South West by establishing sustainable partnerships and to monitor the establishment and work of the community team so we can adjust its functions along the way.