The 3rd World Forum on Local Economic Development, which will take place in Turin, Italy, from 13 to 16 October 2015, will see local and regional governments highlight Local Economic Development (LED) as a critical tool for the implementation of the international development agenda.
The event is organized by the municipality of Turin, UCLG, and our Working Group on Local Economic Development led by the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI), the Organization of United Regions (ORU FOGAR), the Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises (SEBRAE), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Local Economic Development, understood as a strategically planned, locally driven approach to foster employment, poverty reduction and quality of life through improved local economic governance, is a tool that can also be put at the service of the goal of inclusive and equal development. The forum will focus on three main issues:
- Regional competitiveness and innovation
- Localizing employment generation
- LED strategies for creating positive urban rural linkages
LED strategies for creating positive urban rural linkages
The third issue area on ‘creating positive urban rural linkages’ will be led by UCLG, our committees and working groups on Local Economic Development and Intermediary Cities, as well as our members and partners. It will focus on Local Economic Development strategies for implementing sustainable territorial development.
Globalization and changes in production and consumption patterns have transformed the relationship between economies and territories. Unevenly distributed service sectors have created hierarchies between cities, as well as between the centers and peripheries of large metropolitan regions.
Cities and urban centers play a key role in “influencing their territories” to a greater extent when they communicate and connect with one another. Systems of intermediary cities allow cities to work together to increase their competitiveness and create business and production networks by applying coherent financial strategies that improve their relationship with private investors.
UCLG will highlight direct strategies and policy instruments that can help cities in the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Cooperation between cities and territories will also be discussed. Such cooperation is an opportunity to act globally through local action, establishing links between schools, hospitals, businesses, social groups, NGOs, universities, and public institutions. Shared experiences can help in the construction of sustainable development.
The role of public spaces will also be explored during the forum. They have the potential to stimulate informal economies in the global South, to guarantee the right to the city, and to create healthier urban environments.
UCLG invites our members and partners to participate actively and debate these challenging questions:
- What innovative policies can be shared for including informal economies and promoting tourism and cultural activities ? What innovative policy strategies can be used to create jobs in small neighbourhoods, particularly homeworking?
- How can LED strategies be harnessed to improve urban rural linkages?
- What are the main ways in which local governments can stimulate Local Economic Development?
Looking forward to seeing you in Turin in October!
For further information please contact UCLG World Secretariat: [email protected] or Antonio Zurita, Director of FAMSI and Chair of the Working Group on LED: [email protected].
Further information on the 3rd World Forum on Local Economic Development is available here.