Implementation Labs for the DONAUHANSE network

Activities IIUE:

Martijn Kramer is active as expert, facilitator and reporting officer for the Implementation Labs within the CUPA project (Co-operative Urban Planning Approaches) of the Network Donauhanse. He contributes his knowledge about sustainable urban planning and is responsible for leading a subgroup during these Labs.

Martijn Kramer was the coordinator of the Interreg IIIC project MILUnet and has co-developed the Implementation Lab Method for the planning and realisation of intensive and sustainable land use.
He works with Huibert Haccou and Elsbeth van Hylckama-Vlieg of the International Intervision Institute that prepares and guides the Implementation Labs.

Rationale:
A number of cities and regions situated along the Danube river have set up the network Donauhanse. The members strive to find sound solutions to similar problems with the greatest possible benefit for all participating cities and regions. Within the network the CUPA (Co-operative Urban Planning Approaches) project is executed. The cities and regions organise a series of workshops (Implementation Labs) to discuss their specific urban planning problems. The Labs provide participants with an opportunity to analyze these problems in a structured manner and develop appropriate solutions. These solutions help the organising city to step ahead in their development process.

The Implementation Labs follow a standardised structure. Each Lab has a duration of three days and consists of approximately 25 participants. Each CUPA city sends 1 or 2 experts and some experts from other regions are invited. About 50% of the participants consists of local experts of the hosting city. Vienna, Bratislava, Krakow, Lviv, Novi Sad and Odessa already hosted an Implementation Lab. In the spring of 2013 an Implementation Lab is planned in Zagreb in Croatia.