A 20 year-long experience

The first IP application to obtain Erasmus funding was filed in 1989, shortly after the ESDP network was founded by Louis Albrechts. The first Intensive Programme was organized at the Institute for Urban and Regional Planning of the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven, Belgium, with the participation of the 5 founding universities (Leuven, Lille, Reggio Calabria, Cardiff, Bilbao). Given the pedagogical and networking success of that first experience, the initiative was replicated the following year and almost every year since, moving every two edition from one partner university to another [link to ‘Papa Erasmus’ text].

The methodology has been fine-tuned over time and proves very successful (see specific section), while the number of partners has increased steadily. The focus of the IP has evolved over time, in function of both the specific issues and planning processes at work in the selected places and the evolution of the planning debate. The main theme is always addressed from different perspectives and articulated in ‘topics’, that are assigned to different groups of students (5-7).

In the Leuven IP (1990 and 1991) the general theme was the economic and spatial restructuring of the Limburg region, with a focus on the consequences of deindustrialisation and redevelopment strategies. In the cases of Lille (1992 and 1993), then Bilbao (1994 and 1995) and Cardiff (1998 and 1999) the focus moved from the region onto the metropolitan scale, with a stronger emphasis on the role of flagship projects in urban redevelopment. In Lille, the main theme was the impact of the new business service and commercial centre ‘Euralille’ together with the new TGV station ‘Lille Europe’ in the redesigning of the role of the city in the metropolitan area; in Bilbao the main theme was the strategy deployed to counter the de-industrialization of the metropolitan area and relaunch the economy of the city through the redevelopment of the waterfront, the Abandoibarra Business Centre, the Guggenheim museum and the Amerola park; in Cardiff the main themes were, on the one hand, the regional strategies in support of industrial innovation and, on the other, the touristical and residential redevelopment of the Cardiff Bay Area, which introduced a stronger focus on the environment. In Aveiro (2000, 2001 and 2002), the environmental angle was strengthened as the environmental management of the river area was one of the selected topics. The IPs organized in Athens marked a unique opportunity to assess the impact of projects and programmes deployed for mega events – the 2004 Olympic games – in social, economic and governance terms, ‘before’ and ‘after’ the games. In Milan (2007 and 2008), the focus returned on urban redevelopment projects in former industrial areas, as well as on the management of green areas. Finally, The IPs in Stockholm (2010 and 2011) addressed the development of a new residential neigbourhood in an area partly green and partly industrial, with delicate environmental issues.

In 2013 the IP will be hosted by the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. The selected theme is urban regeneration strategies in low income areas.