Petra Kelemen i Nevena Škrbić Alempijević održale su izlaganje „Planning a sustainable postindustrial city: the role of culture in public policies” na tematskoj konferenciji UNIC-a (Europskog sveučilišta postindustrijskih gradova) naslovljenoj „Urban Resilience, Sustainability and the Future of Inclusive Post-Industrial Societies“ (Malmö, Švedska, 7. – 9. svibnja 2025.).

Sažetak izlaganja:

This paper analyses the roles given to culture in building sustainable and resilient postindustrial societies. Using the example of two Croatian postindustrial cities – Rijeka and Zagreb – its aim is to understand how culture is conceptualised and employed in urban policy documents. The two cities have distinct local and regional histories, as well as different recent developments and visions. However, they share similarities concerning the role given to culture within their broader urban development strategies. For Rijeka, the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2020 offered an opportunity to (re)think the city’s present and its future. In the case of Zagreb, since 2021 the new local government has been developing policy documents with a similar objective. Both cities have tried to redefine their visions and strategies, with culture playing a vital role in these complex processes. The notions of accessibility and dispersion of culture are shown to be of high importance in imagining urban transformations. Culture is seen as an important component of well-being, and the programs that encourage active participation of diverse social groups are recognised as essential for making culture inclusive and meaningful in everyday life. In those projects, particular emphasis is placed on neighbourhoods as the key units of the city’s social life. Special attention is also given to providing the spaces for cultural activities, with deindustrialised locations being important strategic projects in both cities. By analysing city policies, the paper aims to explore how culture is deployed in the visions of urban resilience and sustainability.

Poveznica na stranicu UNIC konferencije: https://www.unic.eu/hr/unic-thematic-conference