UTC REPORT: RETHINKING THE CITIES: BUILDING THE NEW URBAN AGENDA IN THE BELO HORIZONTE METROPOLITAN AREA (VI CONFERENCE OF THE BHMA) Title of the Campus: Rethinking the cities: building the New Urban Agenda in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area (VI Conference of the BHMA) Organizer(s) Names: Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Development Agency - Minas Gerais Government Partner Organization(s): UFMG, SEBRAE Date and Location: Tuesday, 21st November 2017 to Wednesday, 22nd November 2017 / Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha - Belo Horizonte/MG Urban Thinkers Campus in Figures: Executive summary:
Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Development Agency, from Minas Gerais State Government, hosted the Urban Thinker Campus in the VI Metropolitan Conference. The event, "RETHINKING THE CITIES: BUILDING THE NEW URBAN AGENDA IN THE BELO HORIZONTE METROPOLITAN AREA," held in November 21 and 22, 2017, reached the participation of over 200 people. On the first day, the participants attended to a lecture from Prof. Rita Velloso, The New Urban Agenda and the Metropolitan Areas. Rita Velloso is an Architect, PhD in Philosophy, Professor of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and Coordinator of the urban research group Cosmópolis. The Professor stressed the challenges regarding implementing the New Urban Agenda in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area, highlighting the importance of good relations between city and environment, pointing out that this issue must be taken into public sphere with priority and responsibility and that we, as citizens, must incorporate good practices in our daily lives. Also on the first day, it was held an awards session for the top 10 initiatives of NGOs and associations that presented the most significant contributions of development of the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area. It was also conceived a certification for 16 Local Government that most act with the metropolitan principles of integration through their policies. The awards represented a showcase of several good practices that brings urban development. The winner was a gastronomy association in Igarapé (Minas Gerais Municipality) that promotes economic development by teaching culinary lessons and supporting local economy and small producers on commercial affairs, bringing also visibility for the city as an attraction for tourists. At the event the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Mobility Masterplan was released. The State Secretary of Transports, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Agency, explained how this policy will work and how people could participate the processes of its elaboration. The Conference also brought attention the crises on water resources we are facing. Thus, the Federal University of Minas Gerais presented a historical panorama
regarding our clean water sources and policies from treatment and distribution. In the opportunity, the participants were all invited to join the 8th World Water Forum in Brasília (Brazil), 2018. Following the seminars on mobility and water there was the session Metropolitan Governance Overview one of most relevance for the Urban Labs debates. In this session, the Metropolitan Development Agency presented projects, actions and policies taken by the Government since the last Conference, back in 2015. Thereby, people could follow up the results, the advances made and the gaps involving urban policy-making. Afterwards it was easier to identify priorities and propose solutions. Introduction to the Campus: The VI Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Conference hosted the Urban Thinkers Campus: RETHINKING THE CITIES. In two day of seminars and discussions regarding metropolitan policies, the participants were asked to gather in groups in order to establish priorities and solutions for our main policies on demand: land policy, environment and water, agriculture, mobility and housing. Separated into five groups, the participants debated according each theme. At first, there was a seminar regarding the theme and then each group settled a round of discussion and an outcome regarding a set of three main measures and recommendations to be embraced by institutions in the Metropolitan Governance. The outcomes were the identification of main measures, stakeholders and a set of recommendations for the metropolitan governance institutions in order to overcome challenges and bring effectiveness to policy-making. Summary of all session: ENVIRONMENT AND WATER The group discussed the implementation of connected areas of preserved natural resources vegetation and water canals to be consider while planning the
metropolitan area. The theme was highlighted as a tool to create good relations between cities and environment, taken the French model (Engagement National pour l Envoroment ENE, Lei Grenelle) as an example. LAND POLICY The instruments and institutions of land policy within the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area were focus of this group. The participants identified problems and challenges regarding land regulations processes and proposed solutons. AGRICULTURE Agriculture is a quite new topic in the urban agenda of the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area. Good cases of initiatives was shown and the solutions to support those initiatives and bring development of agro activities were targets of discussion. MOBILITY In Mobility, the focus was on identifying the gaps in urban planning that should be consider and receive a closer attention while elaborating the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Mobility Masterplan. HOUSING The topic the most moved participants was Housing. Several types of policies for housing were focus of discussions, such as regularization on human settlements, urban infrastructure for vulnerable areas and support of social civil constructions. Key outcomes:
The outcomes of Urban Thinker Campus in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan, 2017, is a set of recommendations for the Metropolitan Governance institutions. The Urbans Labs Results, thus, presented the results as it follows. ENVIRONMENT AND WATER - Promotion of services and examples of environment-oriented sanitation systems at all the extension of the Metropolitan territory; - Preservation of natural resources within the metropolitan area through police policies and recovery of degraded areas; - Initiatives of education focused on environment and public health for the population. LAND POLICY - Establishment of permanent department of urban policy with the administrative structure of the 34 Metropolitan Local Government and reinforcement of regular employees in order to maintain the progress of urban policy-making and continuity of strategies; - Legitimate the urban planning process by empowering institutional tools by legal matters, disseminating the guidelines of the Metropolitan Masterplan and enabling local government to work with principles of cooperation and integration. - Strengthen and simplify the bureaucracy within the processes of analysis and approval of projects and initiatives regarding land use and regulation for urban matters. AGRICULTURE - Provide technical support to local governments and small farmers and producers in their activities regarding commercial affairs and supply. - Promote and incentive commercial activities from small agricultures associations. - Contain the growth of the urban process, preserving areas for agro activities and saving water sources. MOBILITY - Integrated public transport system: tickets, itineraries, means and institutions (companies and governments);
- Metropolitan road mapping, following the urban planning strategy of new city centres to distribute the offer of services and economic activities among the territory; - Establishment of a strong legal apparatus to reinforce and guarantee the effectiveness of mobility policies. HOUSING - Fight for the legal establishment of a quota intended for policies of social habitat production; - Identification of empty spaces and edifications under public custody to reserve for social habitat production through housing associations; - Enhance State Housing Fund with tax policies; - Establish a technical support service for constructions and improvement of social housing. Conclusion & way forward: The main measures and recommendations for the Metropolitan Governance were established. The Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Development Agency will monitor and brig accountability to the actions that follows those settlements in order to overview in the next conference, in 2019 when knew measures and recommendations will be re-established. Recommendations: The Governments at national, sub national and local levels, should assure continuity for the programs and actions established for urban policies. This matter, by the way, was one of the main measures establish in the VI Metropolitan Conferences at our Urban Labs. As for the stakeholders, the recommendations is
to keep on cooperating and stay in touch with each other, aware of what is happening at the government, market and social arenas. Monitoring & Reporting: The Metropolitan Conference is an event that happens every two years, assured by law. Therefore, it works as a place to monitor and keep progress of the actions settled previously The Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area Development is continuously involved with the New Urban Agenda discussions and is committed with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our actions are available on our web site www.agenciarmbh.mg.gov.br and we often have events to stimulate participation, such as the Metropolitan Conference. Our intentions is to spread the WUC in order to straighten the community and reinforce the New Urban Agenda through our policies and media channels. In the long term we have our institutional planning tool, the Metropolitan Development Integrated Masterplan, which contains the guidelines for urban development in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area and is commited to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of the New Urban Agenda and the World Urban Campaign. List of key speakers: 1. Rita Veloso, UFMG, Brazil 2. Flávia Mourão, Agência RMBH, Brazil 3. Carlos Renato, CEMIG/MG, Brazil 4. Marília Carvalho, UFMG, Brazil 5. Nilo Nascimento, UFMG, Brazil 6. Patrícia Boson, FIEMG, Brazil
List of participants: Not Indicated. List of organisations represented: 1. Secretaria de Estado de Cidades e de Integração Regional 2. Secretaria de Estado de Casa Civil e Relações Institucionais List of partner groups represented: 1. Local and Subnational Authorities. 2. Research and Academia. 3. Civil Society Organizations. 4. Grassroots organizations. 5. Women. 6. Parliamentarians. 7. Children and youth. 8. Business and Industries. 9. Foundations and philanthropies. 10. Professionals. 11. Trade unions and Workers. 12. Farmers. 13. Indegineous people. 14. Media. 15. Older persons. 16. Persons with disabilities.
List of countries represented: 1. Brazil Weblink to key tweets, Facebook and/or Instagram posts: https://www.facebook.com/desenvolvermbh/ UTC videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfop6lhmaoo