Urban and social regeneration was the theme of a recent conference hosted in Belfast and attended by visitors from across Europe.
The Regenera conference was the latest phase in a two year exchange network involving 14 cities including Berlin Turin, Milan, Prague, Budapest….and Belfast.
Funded through the EU Urbact Programme, the project has been running since April 2004 and will end with a final conference in Lyon next February.
The aim of the network is to encourage co-operation between European cities where officials can learn from the experiences of their various partners.
Addressing the theme of urban regeneration, Belfast hosted visits to ongoing projects in the East and North of the city.
And Council officials here also showcased the inclusive aspect of governance in this part of the world.
Representatives from the women’s sector, ethnic groups, privately run businesses and community leaders were all part of a discussion panel.
According to Councillor Nelson McCausland, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee, the European delegates were impressed by what they saw here.
“While there is much we can learn from our European counterparts, it is a real boost to hear the positive feedback that resulted from this visit.
“Clearly these visitors were impressed by what we are doing here in terms of the regeneration of our city.”
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