The New Leipzig Charter | The transformative power of cities for the common good

An initiative of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Charter stands as a key framework document for integrated sustainable urban development in Europe. It is accompanied by an Implementing document which intends to guide the next phase of the Urban Agenda for the EU according to renewed parameters. This framework reaffirms the objectives and achievements of the Pact of Amsterdam, thus linking the Urban Agenda for the EU’s working method to the New Leipzig Charter’s strategic principles. The Charter highlights that cities need to establish integrated and sustainable urban development strategies and ensure their implementation for the city as a whole, from its functional areas to its neighbourhoods.
The document is strongly aligned with the Cohesion Policy and its framework for sustainable urban development. Member States agreed to implement the Charter in their national or regional urban policies. The Charter acknowledges that urban transformation is based on the integration of the social, ecological and economic dimensions of sustainable development. The just city is a city which provides opportunities for everyone to integrate in society. All social groups, including the most vulnerable, should have equal access to services of general interest, including education, social services, health care and culture. Public authorities should act in the interest of public welfare, providing services and infrastructure for the common good. This should cover health care, social services, education, cultural services, housing, water and energy supply, waste management, public transport, digital networks and information systems.
Furthermore, the quality of public spaces including green and blue infrastructure as well as the preservation and revitalisation of built cultural heritage are important. High-quality, open and safe public spaces function as vibrant urban places, allowing people to interact, exchange and integrate into society. Good urban planning and design should be reinforced to enable compact, socially and economically mixed cities with well-developed infrastructure and a healthy environment and opportunities for identification contributing to the well-being of all. This requires a holistic understanding of high-quality Baukultur as the basis of integrated planning and design processes for every man-made shaping of the built environment in European cities.