Sharing the Nordic City– meeting the Challenge of Urban Change

Conference: Fredericia, Denmark on September 25-27, 2013

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Nordic City Network and the Danish municipality of Fredericia hereby invite you and other city networks to take part in an

International Conference on Urban DevelopmentTo be held in Fredericia, Denmark on September 25-27, 2013

Our contemporary cities are chang­ing rapidly from industrial centres into cultural hubs focused on knowledge and develop ment. Each city handles the resul­ting challenges in different ways – but could we do better if we shared ideas and best practices across borders?We think so!

KCAP.EU

Date: September 25­27, 2013Location: Fredericia, DenmarkRegistration deadline: August 9, 2013Normal fee: EUR 335 (DKK 2.500)Contact: Mads Sand, mads.sand@fredericia.dk

Please remember to send a short overview of your contribution in advance.

Conference objectiveThe objective of the conference is to gain mutual benefits by sharing cross­border expe riences and ideas, and to develop a network to share that knowledge.

By participating, you will get the opportunity to network and share knowledge with other networks and professionals from around the world – discussing the subjects that concern you and your region under the theme:

The city as an engine for human/social development and prosperity

How do we develop the city as a framework and engine for revitalising urban life and urban communities; how can we as city planners support civic commitment and active citizen­ship, innovation and growth in our cities and regions – that is the topic of the debate.

This is a vital topic for the great transforma­tion that most Western societies are under­going in our time. The cities of the Nordic

welfare states have many answers to give in this connection, but we also have a lot to learn. So we will be pleased to hear more about how you do things, and together to find new solutions for the great challenges that we share.

The conference will be designed as a mar­ketplace or trade fair, where each network comes with its specific experience and where ideas and experiences are exchanged in small dynamic groups within an ambience created by inspiring keynote speakers.

The conference is intended primarily for professional urban developers.

Nordic City Network's goal is to get inspira­tion and new input in order to generate new knowledge to develop our future Nordic cit­ies. Additionally, cities and networks invited, will get new insights, influences and trend­forecasting that can be used locally.

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ParticipantsThe participants are representatives of Western cities and regions facing similar challenges of urban develop­ment. Keynote speakers are international experts on these challenges who will present new insights into global urban development. Meet:

Prof. Jan Gehl (Born 1936)Danish architect and urban design consult­ant based in Copenhagen whose career has focused on improving the quality of urban life by re­orienting city design towards pedestri­ans and cyclists. He is a founding partner of Gehl Architects and author of:Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space (2011), Cities for People (2010).

Prof. Ove Kaj Pedersen (Born 1948)Danish political scientist resident in New York, Professor of Comparative Political Economics at CBS. Author of several works, including: The Rise of Neoliberalism and Insti-tutional Analysis (2001), Europeanization and Transnational States (2004), National Identity and Varieties of Capitalism: The Danish Ex-perience (2006) and the Oxford Handbook of Institutional Analysis (2010).

Prof. Charles Landry (Born 1948)British urban innovator with extensive in­ternational range, who in 1978 founded the Comedia think tank, which pioneered the connection between culture, creativity and city transformation.Charles Landry is best known for having writ­ten the book The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators (2000).

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KCAP.EU

The Nordic City Network conference is funded by The Realdania Foundation and Fredericia Municipality in alliance with the Danish Architecture Centre.

The conference is organized by Nordic City Network – a think tank set up by professionals such as urban and regional planners and en-gaged politicians, dedicated to developing

Nordic cities as attractive, innovative and competitive Knowledge Cities.

Nordic City NetworkThe members of Nordic City Network are representatives of 20 medium-sized cities in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Together with the regions of which the cities

are centres, Nordic City Network represents up to 40% of the total Nordic population. The Network endeavours to mobilise political leadership as a basis for urban develop-ment. In close cooperation with universities, business and cultural institutions, it works with pilot projects to pave the way for new solutions in urban development.

Your hosts

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The municipality of Fredericia is one of the Danish members, see www.visitfredericia.dk

Find information on the FredericiaC development project at: www.fredericiac.dk

Further information may be found on: www.nordiccitynetwork.com

KCAP.EUThe planned FredericiaC project

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FeeA group of cities and networks, that we find particularly interest­ing, have the important role of inspirational sources and they therefore participate at no cost in addition to travel and accomo­dation. These have been notified directly thereof.

Other relevant professionals and institutions are most welcome to attend at a nominal fee of EUR 335 (DKK 2500) per person in addition to travel and accomodation costs.

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Your contributionThe marketplace as a conference model re­quires some preparation from all participants. The marketplace concept may be seen as a trade fair where participants sell their ideas in close dialogue with other participants.

Your contributions are essential since it is important that everyone, at the end of the event, has gained useful and direct applica­ble know­how and new knowledge. There­fore we will, prior to the conference, kindly ask you to provide us with a short description of a local urban development project focus­sing on the conference theme; the city as an

engine for human/social development and prosperity. The material should include a short project presentation ­ including chal­lenges, ideas, knowledge and best prectise from the project. This will give us an idea of what you intend to sell at the marketplace. Further it will enable us to organise the work­shops accordingly, in order to give everyone new relevant insights and ideas to use locally.

Please send this short overview in advance to Project Secretary Mads Sand at:mads.sand@fredericia.dk.

Before attendingRemember to e-mail overview in advance to:Mads Sand, Business Consultantmads.sand@fredericia.dk

Or by ordinary mail:Municipality of FredericiaUrban & BusinessAtt.: Mads SandVendersgade 30DDK­7000 Fredericia

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Conference programme – main pointsThe conference is held over two days. Participants should arrive and may use their accommodation the day before the confer­ence starts:

Day 0

Arrival in Fredericia and accommodation at the Hotel Hindsgavl Castle. Evening event with live presentation of Fredericia and its history.

Day 1

During the day there will be three notable speakers, both Danish and international. Keynote speakers will include Prof. Ove Kaj Pedersen, Prof. Jan Gehl and Prof. Charles Landry. Based on the conviction that the most exciting knowledge emerges from conversation, the conference provides

maximum space for mutual discussions and knowledge­sharing. Most of the day will take the form of a market place where international networking and project groups compete to attract interest. The aim is to promote dy­namic dialogue and an exchange of ideas. Knowledge acquisition is of particular impor­tance and will be ongoing – and will also de­pend on the participants’ own contributions for use on day two.

The day ends at one of the city’s best restau­rants, followed by a cultural feature.

Day 2

Summing up and presentations from the par­ticipating networks: what specific inspiration and ideas will we be bringing back home to use locally?

The day ends with lunch.

KCAP.EU

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Behind the conferenceThe conference in Fredericia is an indepen­dent part of three Nordic conferences and plays a vital role in knowledge development. The first of the three conferences was held in Odense in September, and considered the issue of political leadership in urban development. The forthcoming conference

in Fredericia will deal with international know­ledge development, and a later conference in Malmo, Sweden, will finally present specific solutions for Nordic urban development in 2014. The conference in Odense resulted in a joint political charter which can be found on the Nordic City Network website. The charter

aims to develop Nordic cities on the basis of the specific Nordic model of society, which emphasises national character, democracy and community.

To find out more, visit our website at:www.nordiccitynetwork.com

Why choose Fredericia as a conference venue? Fredericia, a city of 40,000 inhabitants, is un­dergoing a transformation from a traditional industrial centre to a modern knowledge and culture hub.

Together with the Realdania Foundation, it is currently realising one of the Nordic region’s largest urban development projects, known as FredericiaC.

Fredericia was founded by King Frederick III on a virgin site in 1650. It was initially intended to become the country’s new capital, and

was carefully planned as a strategically situ­ated fortified city on the basis of Renaissance ideals with a rigorous city plan and straight streets. It was Denmark’s first architect­designed city. To attract inhabitants to his newly built city, the King enticed them with privileges such as tax exemption, religious freedom and the right of asylum.

Frederick III introduced religious freedom to the free city of Fredericia in 1650, 200 years before the rest of the country and as an absolute first in Europe. This made the

new city the most international in the Nordic region at that time. So Fredericia’s present transformation draws on references to a be­lief in a better city of the future going back to its foundation.

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Municipality of Fredericia, Urban & BusinessVendersgade 30D, DK­7000 Fredericia, Denmark

Mads Sand, Business ConsultantTel: +45 7211 3505, E­mail: mads.sand@fredericia.dk

This is where it all startsPlease enrol by contacting Mads Sand at the Urban & Business development office of the municipality of Fredericia, who will also be pleased to answer any of your questions:

We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to Fredericia.

Yours faithfullyNordic City Network

Chairman Christer Larsson, Director of Planning and Urban Development, Malmo, Sweden. NCN Director Per Riisom, E­mail: riisomcity@gmail.com

Christer LarssonChairman, NCN

Per RiisomDirector, NCN

Kenny Bruun Mayor in Fredericia

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