Europe – The Spirit of Cities - Nancy

[i]8th biennial of European towns and town planners[/i] Nancy 2-3-4 December 2009 Europe's cities and metropolitan areas are now home to three-quarters of the continent's population. Because of – or despite – today's problems, any vision of Europe's future development must take account of this crucial urban aspect. The Europe of cities is most definitely back! Is there such a thing as a model of the "European city" and if so, what are the big issues facing it right now? What is the place of our cities in the world economy and how are they coping with globalisation? How are they reacting to today's economic, climatic, demographic and social challenges, and what are their concrete responses? How are they cooperating with the broader economic world? What planning strategies and tools for governance and economic intervention are resorting to in the current difficult period? These are some of the questions to be looked into in the course of the biennial. A superb setting The event will take place in venues on the Unesco-listed Place Stanislas, famed for its gilded ironwork. This is a great opportunity for participants to get acquainted with Nancy's historic heritage: the medieval gems of the Old Town, the Art Nouveau masterpieces of the Ecole de Nancy, splendid 18th-century architecture and majestic public spaces. For more information: http://www.aduan.fr/media/article/document/108337_108340_EN-pre-programme-web.pdf