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LEIPZIG CHARTER on Sustainable European Cities 

PREAMBLE 

The “LEIPZIG CHARTER on Sustainable European Cities” is a document of the Member 
States , which has been drawn up with the broad and transparent participation of European 
Stakeholders. In the knowledge of the challenges and opportunities as well as the different 
historical, economical, social and environmental backgrounds of European cities, the 
Member States’ Ministers responsible for Urban Development agree upon common 
principles and strategies for urban development policy. The Ministers commit themselves 

• 
to initiate a political debate in their states on how to integrate the principles and 
strategies of the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities into national, 
regional and local development policies, 
• 
to use the tool of integrated urban development and the related governance for its 
implementation and, to this end, establish any necessary framework at national level 
and 
• 
to promote the establishment of balanced territorial organisation based on a 
European polycentric urban structure. 
The Ministers thank the German Presidency for having prepared the report “Integrated 
urban development as a prerequisite for successful urban sustainability” and the studies 
“Strategies for upgrading the physical environment in deprived urban areas”, “Strengthening 
the local economy and local labour market policy in deprived urban areas”, “Proactive 
education and training policies on children and young people in deprived urban areas” and 
“Sustainable urban transport and deprived urban areas” with their examples of good practice 
in Europe. These studies will help cities of all sizes in the effective implementation of the 
principles and strategies set out in the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities. 

The Ministers declare: 

We, the ministers responsible for urban development in the Member States of the 
European Union, consider European cities of all sizes which have evolved in the course of 
history to be valuable and irreplaceable economic, social and cultural assets. 

With the objective of protecting, strengthening and further developing our cities, we 
strongly support the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, building on the Lille Action 
Programme, the Rotterdam Urban Acquis and the Bristol Accord. In doing so, all 
dimensions of sustainable development should be taken into account at the same time and 
with the same weight. These include economic prosperity, social balance and a healthy 
environment. At the same time attention should be paid to cultural and health aspects. In 
this due attention should be paid to the institutional capacity in the Member States. 

Our cities possess unique cultural and architectural qualities, strong forces of social 
inclusion and exceptional possibilities for economic development. They are centres of 
knowledge and sources of growth and innovation. At the same time, however, they suffer 
from demographic problems, social inequality, social exclusion of specific population 
groups a lack of affordable and suitable housing and environmental problems. In the long 
run, cities cannot fulfil their function as engines of social progress and economic growth as 
described in the Lisbon Strategy unless we succeed in maintaining the social balance 


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within and among them, ensuring their cultural diversity and establishing high quality in the 
fields of urban design, architecture and environment. 

We increasingly need holistic strategies and coordinated action by all persons and 
institutions involved in the urban development process which reach beyond the boundaries 
of individual cities. Every level of government - local, regional, national and European - has 
a responsibility for the future of our cities. To make this multi-level government really 
effective, we must improve the coordination of the sectoral policy areas and develop a new 
sense of responsibility for integrated urban development policy. We must also ensure that 
those working to deliver these policies at all levels acquire the generic and crossoccupational 
skills and knowledge needed to develop cities as sustainable communities. 

We strongly welcome the statements and the recommendations set out in the Territorial 
Agenda of the European Union and the work of the European Institutions which promotes 
an integrated view of urban issues. We recognize the Aalborg Commitments as a valuable 
contribution to strategic and coordinated action at a local level and the conclusions of the 
European Forum for Architectural Policies on Building Culture on 27 April 2007. We take 
note of the European Charter “Network Vital Cities”. 

We recommend: 

I. Making greater use of integrated urban development policy approaches 
For us, integrated urban development policy means simultaneous and fair consideration of 
the concerns and interests which are relevant to urban development. Integrated urban 
development policy is a process in which the spatial, sectoral and temporal aspects of key 
areas of urban policy are co-ordinated. The involvement of economic actors, stakeholders 
and the general public is essential. Integrated urban development policy is a key 
prerequisite for implementing the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. Its 
implementation is a task of European scale , but it is one which must take account of local 
conditions and needs as well as subsidiarity. 

The reconciliation of interests facilitated by an integrated urban development policy forms a 
viable basis for a consensus between the state, regions, cities, citizens and economic 
actors. By pooling knowledge and financial resources, scarce public funds can be more 
effectively used. Public and private investments will be better coordinated. Integrated urban 
development policy involves actors outside the administration and enables citizens to play 
an active role in shaping their immediate living environment. At the same time, these 
measures can provide more planning and investment certainty. 

We recommend that European cities consider drawing up integrated urban development 
programmes for the city as a whole. These implementation-oriented planning tools should 

• 
describe the strengths and the weaknesses of cities and neighbourhoods based 
upon an analysis of the current situation, 
• 
define consistent development objectives for the urban area and develop a vision 
for the city, 

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• 
coordinate the different neighbourhood, sectoral and technical plans and policies, 
and ensure that the planned investments will help to promote a well-balanced 
development of the urban area, 
• 
coordinate and spatially focus the use of funds by public and private sector players 
and 
• 
be co-ordinated at local and city-regional level and involve citizens and other 
partners who can contribute substantially to shaping the future economic, social, 
cultural and environmental quality of each area. 
Coordination at local and city-regional level should be strengthened. An equal partnership 
between cities and rural areas as well as between small-, medium-sized and large towns 
and cities within city-regions and metropolitan regions is the aim. We must stop looking at 
urban development policy issues and decisions at the level of each city in isolation. Our 
cities should be focal points of city-regional development and assume responsibility for 
territorial cohesion. It would therefore be helpful if our cities would network more closely 
with each other at European level. 

Integrated urban development policy offers us a set of instruments which have already 
proved their worth in numerous European cities in developing modern, co-operative and 
effective governance structures. These are indispensable for improving the 
competitiveness of European cities. They facilitate early beneficial co-ordination of housing, 
economic, infrastructure and services development by taking account, inter alia, of the 
impact of existing ageing and migration trends and energy-policy conditions. 

Within the scope of an integrated urban development policy, we consider the following 
strategies for action to be of crucial importance for strengthening the competitiveness of 
European cities: 

• 
Creating and ensuring high-quality public spaces 
The quality of public spaces, urban man-made landscapes and architecture and 
urban development play an important role in the living conditions of urban 
populations. As soft locational factors, they are important for attracting knowledge 
industry businesses, a qualified and creative workforce and for tourism. Therefore, 
the interaction of architecture, infrastructure planning and urban planning must be 
increased in order to create attractive, user-oriented public spaces and achieve a 
high standard in terms of the living environment, a “Baukultur”. Baukultur is to be 
understood in the broadest sense of the word, as the sum of all the cultural, 
economic, technological, social and ecological aspects influencing the quality and 
process of planning and construction. However, this approach should not be limited to 
public spaces. Such a “Baukultur” is needed for the city as a whole and its 
surroundings. Both cities and government must make their influence felt. This is 
particularly important for the preservation of architectural heritage. Historical 
buildings, public spaces and their urban and architectural value must be preserved. 

Creating and safeguarding functional and well-designed urban spaces, infrastructures 
and services is a task which must be tackled jointly by the state, regional and the 
local authorities, as well as by citizens and businesses. 


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• 
Modernizing infrastructure networks and improving energy efficiency 
An essential contribution to the quality of life, locational quality and the quality of the 
environment can be made by sustainable, accessible and affordable urban transport 
with coordinated links to the city-region transport networks. Particular attention should 
be paid to traffic management and interlinking transport modes, including cycling and 
pedestrian infrastructure. Urban transport must be reconciled with the different 
requirements of housing, work areas, the environment and public spaces. 

Technical infrastructure, especially water supply, waste-water treatment and other 
supply networks, must be improved at an early stage and adapted to changing needs 
in order to meet future requirements for high quality urban living. 

Key prerequisites for sustainable public utility service are energy efficiency and 
economic use of natural resources and economic efficiency in their operation. Energy 
efficiency of buildings must be improved. This concerns both existing and new 
buildings. The renovation of housing stock can have an important impact on energy 
efficiency and the improvement of a resident’s quality of life. Particular attention must 
be paid to pre-fabricated, old and low quality buildings. Optimized and perfomant 
infrastructure networks and energy efficient buildings will lower costs for businesses 
and residents alike. 

An important basis for efficient and sustainable use of resources is a compact 
settlement structure. This can be achieved by spatial and urban planning, which 
prevents urban sprawl by strong control of land supply and of speculative 
development. The strategy of mixing housing, employment, education, supply and 
recreational use in urban neighbourhoods has proved to be especially sustainable. 

Cities must contribute to ensuring and enhancing their residents' quality of life and 
their attractiveness as business locations by making use of sophisticated information 
and communication technologies in the fields of education, employment, social 
services, health, safety and security, as well as means for improving urban 
governance. 

Our cities must also be able to adjust to the threat posed by climate change. Well 
designed and planned urban development can provide a low carbon way of 
accommodating growth, improve environmental quality and reduce carbon emissions. 
Cities can achieve these outcomes through innovative prevention, mitigation and 
adaptation measures which in turn aid the development of new industry and low 
carbon business. 

• 
Proactive innovation and educational policies 
Cities are places where a lot of knowledge is created and also imparted. The full 
exploitation of a city’s knowledge potential depends on the quality of its pre-school 
and school education, and on the transfer opportunities provided within the education 
and training systems, as well as by social and cultural networks. The opportunities for 
lifelong learning, the excellence of the universities and non-university research 
institutes and the transfer network between industry, businesses and the scientific 
community. 


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Integrated urban development policy can contribute to improving these factors, for 
example by bringing the stakeholders together, by supporting networks and 
optimizing locational structures. Integrated urban development promotes social and 
intercultural dialogue. 

Integrated urban development strategies, cooperative urban development 
management and good governance can contribute towards a purposeful use of the 
potential of European cities particularly with regard to competitiveness and growth, as 
well as to reducing disparities within and among neighbourhoods. They provide 
citizens with an opportunity for social and democratic participation. 

II. 
That special attention is paid to deprived neighbourhoods within the 
context of the city as a whole. 
Cities are faced with major challenges, especially in connection with the change in 
economic and social structures and globalisation. Specific problems, among others, are 
especially high unemployment and social exclusion. Within one city, considerable 
differences may exist in terms of economic and social opportunities in the individual city 
areas, but also in terms of the varying quality of the environment. In addition, the social 
distinctions and the differences in economic development often continue to increase which 
contributes to destabilization in cities. A policy of social integration which contributes to 
reducing inequalities and preventing social exclusion will be the best guarantee for 
maintaining security in our cities. 

In order to achieve the objectives of social cohesion and integration in cities and urban 
areas, well-conceived social housing policies can be effective tools. Healthy, suitable and 
affordable housing can make these neighbourhoods more attractive for both young and old 
people. This is a contribution to stability in the neighbourhoods. 

It is better to spot early warning signs and take remedial action in a timely and effective 
way. This saves ressources. Once an area has begun to decline, the cost of and difficulty 
in turning it around can be many times more expensive. Government must offer an outlook 
and incentives for improvement to residents in affected areas. Active involvement of the 
residents and a better dialogue between the political representatives, the residents and the 
economic actors is essential to find the best solution for each deprived urban area. 

Against this background, we consider the following strategies for action, embedded in an 
integrated urban development policy, to be of crucial importance for deprived urban 
neighbourhoods: 

• 
Pursuing strategies for upgrading the physical environment 
Economic activity and investments on the one hand and high-quality urban structures, 
a sound built environment and a modern and efficient infrastructure and facilities on 
the other are closely interlinked. For this reason, it is necessary to improve existing 
building stock in deprived neighbourhoods with regard to their design, physical 
conditions and energy efficiency. Improvements in housing standards in new 
buildings as well as in existing large prefabricated, old and low quality buildings bear 
the biggest potential for increasing energy efficiency within the EU and thereby 
combating climate change. 


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In order to increase the sustainability of investments in upgrading the physical 
environment, they must be embedded in a long-term development strategy which 
also includes, inter alia, public and private follow-up investments. 

• 
Strengthening the local economy and local labour market policy 
Measures to secure the economic stabilisation of deprived neighbourhoods must also 
exploit endogenous economic forces in the neighbourhood themselves. In this 
context, labour market and economic policies which are tailored to the needs of the 
individual neighbourhoods will be the appropriate instruments. The objective is to 
create and secure jobs and to facilitate the start-up of new businesses. In particular, 
access opportunities to local labour markets must be improved by offering demandoriented 
training. Increased use must also be made of the employment and training 
opportunities in the ethnic economy. 

The European Union, Member States and cities are called on to create better 
conditions and instruments to strengthen the local economy and thus the local labour 
markets, in particular by promoting the social economy and providing citizen-friendly 
services. 

• 
Proactive education and training policies for children and young people 
A crucial starting point for improving the situation in deprived neighbourhoods is the 
improvement of the education and training situation in the local community in 
conjunction with proactive policies focused on children and young people. 

More possibilities for education and training must be provided and improved in 
disadvantaged neighbourhoods which are geared to the needs of, and address 
deficiencies in provision for children and young people living there. By means of a 
policy focus on children and young people which is tailored to the social area they live 
in, we must contribute to improving the prospects of the children and young people 
living in deprived neighbourhoods to participate and realize their ambitions and to 
ensure equal opportunities on a long-term basis. 

• 
Promotion of efficient and affordable urban transport 
Many deprived neighbourhoods have the additional burden of poor transport 
connections as well as poor environmental influences which further reduce their 
attractiveness. The development of an efficient and affordable public transport system 
will give residents in these neighbourhoods equal opportunity to have the mobility and 
accessibility of other citizens – which they have a right to expect. 

In order to achieve this aim, transport planning and traffic management in these areas 
must increasingly aim to reduce the negative impacts of transport on the environment 
and to organise transport in a manner which will better integrate these 
neighbourhoods into the city and region as a whole. This will also require appropriate 
networks for pedestrian and cycle traffic. 


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The better we manage to stabilize deprived neighbourhoods economically, to integrate 
them socially and to upgrade their physical environment and transport infrastructure, the 
better the chances are that our cities will remain places of social progress, growth and 
innovation in the long term. 

We emphasize that: 

Urban development policy should be laid down at national level and the stimuli for 
innovative solutions should also be created at national level, as well as at other levels. 

Our cities need enough scope for action in order to perform local tasks in a responsible 
manner and a sound financial basis which provides long-term stability. Therefore it is 
important too that Member States have the opportunity to use the European structural 
funds for substantial integrated urban development programmes. The use of these funds 
should be focused closely on the specific difficulties and potentials as well as take into 
consideration the opportunities, difficulties and specificities in the Member States. If not 
already provided for, local authorities should develop the necessary skills and efficiency to 
implement integrated urban development policies, also with a view to achieving overall 
quality and sustainability in the built-up environment. 

The new EU initiatives, JESSICA and JEREMIE, supporting the establishment of urban 
development funds and funds for SME, using financial engineering instruments to leverage 
private capital into the implementation of integrated urban development strategies, offer 
promising opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of conventional national and 
European funding sources. 

At national level, Government Departments need to recognise more clearly the importance 
of cities to deliver national, regional and local ambitions, and the impact of their policies 
upon them. The efforts of different sectoral Government Departments working or having an 
impact on urban issues need to be better aligned and integrated so they complement 
rather than conflict . 

We emphasize the importance of systematic and structured exchange of experience and 
knowledge in the field of sustainable urban development. We ask the European 
Commission to present the outcome of the exchange of good practice on the basis of the 
guidelines of the Leipzig Charter at a future conference under the auspices of the “Regions 
for Economic Change” initiative. Alongside this we need a European platform to pool and 
develop best practice, statistics, benchmarking studies, evaluations, peer reviews and 
other urban research to support actors involved in urban development at all levels and in all 
sectors. We will continue to promote and intensify the exchange of knowledge and 
experience between policy makers, practitioners and researchers at local, regional, 
national and European level in the future in order to reinforce the urban dimension of the 
EU Sustainable Development Strategy, the Lisbon Strategy and the European Employment 
Strategy. 

Europe needs cities and regions which are strong and good to live in. 


