THE STRENGTH OF MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES –
ACHIEVMENTS OF THE MECINE NETWORK
Matthias Nowack
Municipality of Speyer
15. September 2011
MECINE (Medium Sized Cities Network)
is a long lasting network of medium sized
cities (50.000 to 250.000 inhabitants) in
Europe, created in the end of 1994, by the
association of several cities desiring to go
beyond regular twinning activities, trying to
go further into exchanging experiences.
Since 1995, the network has grown and changed in partners
MECINE-members today
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Évora (Portugal)
Ravenna (Italy)
Speyer (Germany)
Delft (The Netherlands)
Roskilde (Denmark)
Linköping (Sweden)
Tönsberg (Norway)
Joensuu (Finland)
• Chartres (France) – observer
• Gniezno (Poland) – guest to the conference
MECINE objectives
according to the “Linköping Declaration”, adopted on September
29th, 2007 at the last mayors´ meeting of the network in Linköping
• Promote the case of medium sized cities, because they can ensure
a high quality of life in their cities
• Foster and develop local democracy and the political self
government of the medium sized cities
• To develop exchange and pilot projects aiming to strengthen the
cooperation between MECINE members, especially in domains like
urban environment, culture, education, social and economic
development and local administration (learning across borders)
• Create conditions to allow to enlarge the networks influence to a
larger number of medium sized cities, in particular, cities in countries
not yet represented in the network
MECINE - Working process
The leadership of the network is rotational for a two-year
period (Speyer is leading 2011/2012)
Membership fee: 1500,- € per year per city (observers
can participate one year without paying the fee)
• Two smaller meetings per year to coordinate activities
• Larger meetings/conferences involving municipal staff
and actors outside the municipalities (universities, NGOs
and other public agencies)
• Conferences on a political level in a four to five year
period to adjust the working process and the objectives
of the network
Work done (some examples)
Stratcult (1997-2000) - sustained by EU grant - Development strategies for
the cultural sector in medium sized towns
“Europe by music” festival (Speyer, 1999) - sustained by EU-grant.
European music festival for young people with bands from the network cities
Management and leader training across borders
Study visits on a bilateral basis among the network members
Quality of Life Survey (2005/2007) - sustained by EU grant - 2 extensive
reports describing “observed quality” in the network cities by statistical data
and “perceived quality” in a representative survey in each city
MECINE seen by artists (2002-2009). Exchange of artists between the
network cities, allowing the creation of art reflecting the impressions and
visions of the artists about the visited city
Latest activities of the network
Workshop on City Center Development
(Speyer, April 2010)
Conference on the “Development of Tolerant and Diverse
Communities” (Linköping, October 2010) - funded within the Citizens´
Perspectives on Medium Sized Cities Project
UniverCity Conference (Évora, March 2011): Cities and Universities
working together to promote regional development - funded within the
Citizens´ Perspectives on Medium Sized Cities Project
“Medium Cities 2020” Conference (Speyer, September 2011) - funded
within the Citizens´ Perspectives on Medium Sized Cities Project
Do you want to know more about the MECINE cities?
Linköping
(Sweden)
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Population: 150.000
Population density: 2.472/km²
celebrated ist 700th anniversary in 1987
Industry: Aerospace (Saab Aircraft Factory),
Electronics, Software, Life Science Technologies and
Biomedicine, Communications Technology
University (since 1975): 27.000 students;
Mjärdevi Science Park, the innovation hub of East
Sweden
International airport, Linköping City Airport
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(the Netherlands)
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Delft
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Population: 97.588
Population density: 4.238/km²
one of the oldest Dutch cities (city rights in 1246)
plays a leading role in technological sectors: Medical
instruments, Bio-based industry/Life Sciences, Water
technology
Industry: Science & Research centre, Tourism
University of Technology: 16.427 students;
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific
Research (TNO)
Ravenna
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(Italy)
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Population: 90.000 (158.739)
Population density: 243/km²
over 2000 years old
8 buildings declared as UNESCO World Cultural
Heritage
Industry: Tourism, Agricultural Industry,
Chemical and Energy Industry, Service
Industries, Footwear- and Clothing Industry
Branch of the University of Bologna
Roskilde
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Population: 82.542
Population density: 390/km²
over 1000 years old (founded 998)
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage (Cathedral)
Industry: Tourism, Experience Economy, Knowledge
University (since 1972): 9000 students
Joensuu
(Finland)
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Population: 73.321
Population density: 30,8/km²
Industry: Metal&wood industry, forestry, IT-sector, border
region & cross-border collaboration expertise
University of Eastern Finland (since 1969): 15,000
students
University of Applied Sciences: 4,500 students
European Forest Institute, Joensuu Science Park
Gniezno
(Poland)
(observer)
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Population: 69.483
Population density: 1,700/km²
one of the oldest Polish cities (over 1000 years old)
Cultural centre
Industry: Leather-, textile-, sugar- and engineering
industry
European Institute of the Adam Mickiewicz University
in Poznan
Évora
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Population: 55.000
Population density: 43,21/km²
Ancient city (founded by the romans)
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage (historic center)
Industry: agricultural trading centre, cork production,
wine-producing technology,
airline-pilot training, electronics, tourism,
University: 8000 students; Alentejo Region Job
Training Centre
Speyer
(Germany)
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Population: 49.811
Population density: 1170/km²
over 2000 years old (founded 10 B.C.)
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage (Cathedral)
Industry: Aerospace components, Electronics, Insulation
material, Education, printing houses, tourism, machine
construction, chemical industrie,
German University of Administrative Science: 200-300
students; Research Institute for Public Administration
Chartres
(France)
(observer)
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Population: 41.000
Population density: 2.324/km²
almost 2000 years old
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage
(cathedral)
Industry: electrical industry,
machine construction, parfum industry
pharmaceutical industry, Agricultural food &
industry, International glas painting centre
Tønsberg
(Norway)
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Population: 40.006
Population density: 369/km²
Norways oldest town; founded in 871
Industry: Tourism, Agriculture, Regional service
industries,Trade, Knowledge bussiness, Offshoreindustry,
Vestfold University College: 4200 students
Differences
• Cities in the network are only partially comparable as far as size is
concerned. The scale reaches from 40.000 to 150.000 inhabitants
• Not comparable with regard to location – e.g. inland, by a river, on
the coast of the sea
• nor are they comparable in the main focus of their roles as the
intermediate centre of an agglomeration, the intermediate centre of
a rural district, as provincial capital, as industrial centre, as
administrative centre or as a satellite town – with various different
combinations of functions.
• We do have a wide variety of mid-sized towns in the network and in
Europe!
Population density
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Delft (The Netherlands)
Linköping (Sweden)
Chartres (France)
Gniezno (Poland)
Speyer (Germany)
Roskilde (Denmark)
Tönsberg (Norway)
Ravenna (Italy)
Évora (Portugal)
Joensuu (Finland)
4.238/km²
2.472/km²
2.324/km²
1.700/km²
1.170/km²
390/km²
369/km²
243/km²
43,2/km²
30,8/km²
What these cities have in common?
Long history, in which they at times played important roles in a national
context: city of many Imperial Diets, capital of the Holy Roman
Empire, seat of the Roman emperor, seat of the Danish, Portuguese
and Dutch kings.
Importance was lost through destruction and political turmoil, shifting of
trade routes or silting of harbours or being eclipsed by neighbours
that prospered during industrialisation
What is left are often first-rate facilities and wonderful architecture of
past glory: opportunities to be made the most of
Qualities and potentials - I
• History, cultural heritage and historical profiles are
strong assets in the network-cities (UNESCO world
heritage sites in Évora, Ravenna, Roskilde, Speyer,
Gniezno, architectural gems and treasures in all the
other cities)
• Manageable small-scale spatial structures (short
distances), compact design and architecture
• Cultural attraction: The biggest and best museums,
theatres and orchestras will always be situated in the big
cities, but there are plenty of possibilities to find “cultural
niches”, in which the middle sized city can achieve the
same level of excellence than the larger urban centres
Risks
• Proximity of the large urban centres (RoskildeCopenhagen, Chartres-Paris, Gniezno-Posznan,
Speyer-Metropolitan area Rhine-Neckar, Delft etc.)
• Economic weaknesses, lack of financial ressources
• Demographic Change (What are we offering to young
families? What are we offering to elderly people?)
• Loss of well educated young people and „creatives“ to
the large urban centres
• Lack of regional cooperation
• Can be dangerous to turn a city into a big museum
(tourism is important but should not be the main focus for
development)
Qualities and potentials – II
• Strong universities, not only in the larger cities Linköping,
Delft and Roskilde
• Quality of life: Living conditions in medium sized cities
are “healthier”, that is more ecological, less stressful and
less likely to lead to illness than in big cities (Because of
the more closely-knit and lively social atmosphere, which
offers more protection against the anonymity and
loneliness in present day society)
• Manageable social and political structures
What we can do: Challenges
• Secure and enlarge the function of the medium sized city as a
regional center (long term development strategy, adapt
administrative structures to the demographic situation,
intensify regional cooperations)
• Keep and improve the attractiveness of residential areas for
young families
• Adapt the technical and social infrastructures to the
demographic situation and activate the potentials of elderly
people
• Renovate and modernise the housing stock. Make your city
an attractive place to live in
• Secure and enlarge the economic potentials of the city
Questions
• What are the special opportunities of our
medium sized cities in an ongoing European
integration process?
• What are the risks?
• How will this type of city develop?
• What will it have to offer its citizens in the future?
• What will it mean to the next generation?
• What picture of possibilities and limitations do
we get?
Identity
Despite different approaches to urban
development in the various MECINE-cities, they
all possess great qualities and incalculable
potential for creating a distinctive image and
identity for the middle-sized city in Europe.