(This is the second part of our introduction series to the E-Urban Mission Statement. The first one is: E-Urban Mission 1. Skills.)
Tools
Under "Methods" > "Who|How|What" in the same "MMP" section (sidebar), a more general methodology is sketched, referring to researches, publications, practical examples ("good practices") and statistical & budgetary measuring of results. This could be called the tools section.[Not yet complete, input welcome].
The most important "tools" for the project, are people. The skills of the urban transformation/emancipation project management teams are a decisive asset for any urban project to succeed.
Very often, authorities and public tend to see an urban regeneration programme as if it were the construction of a building or the implementation of a public transport scheme. Come new priorities, change the driver, start all over. To us, this is as if the surgeon is recalled from the operations room in the middle of a surgery...
Other tools are, naturally, money (clear-cut, flexible project-budgets, stretching over multiple years), partnership contracts with local institutions, services, enterprises and voluntary organisations (NGO's).
Project management-, negotiating-, budget-management- and other tools heve to be adapted to the particular needs of projects under integrated urban development strategy. An exchange of knowledge and experiences on these subjects, between urban practitioners all over Europe, is essential to bring this about.
Toolboxes for this work of "uptooling" are present in the shape of URBACT, EUKN and ASC.
(Next part of this introduction series to the e-urban Mission Statement, is: E-Urban Mission: 3. Standards)