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Especially in the last years, public libraries (and local authorities) have to meet new challenges caused by on-going social, technical and economic changes. This briefing paper provides a short analysis of the impact that public libraries can have on the intellectual and cultural development of citizens with a particular focus on their vital role in providing an open public space for learning, culture and social communication. Following from the analysis, respective recommendations for policy ...

'Capacity-building' is a core concept of development policy. The notion that strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions in developing countries is crucial for the success of development policy emerged gradually, with the theoretical debate reaching its peak between 1995 and 2005. Development approaches based on the notion of capacity-building were introduced to make up for perceived shortcomings in the development aid and technical assistance provided by major international donors ...

Towns and cities are home to over 70% of the EU's population, and many of the economic and environmental policy challenges facing Europe have an urban dimension. Within the EU, a shared vision of urban development has gradually taken shape at intergovernmental level. Over recent years there have been increasing calls for concrete actions at EU level and for the development of an EU urban agenda, which could facilitate greater coherence in policies affecting urban areas and give city authorities and ...

Two-thirds of the EU population live in urban areas where environmental, economic, demographic and social challenges are amplified. The EU has made a strong political commitment to sustainable urban development which is reflected through specific instruments and actions financed in the framework of current and future Cohesion policy.

This Tässä tutkimuksessa analysoidaan kriittisesti paikallisviranomaisten toimivaltaa, välineitä ja roolia sosiaalisten erojen vähentämisessä. Aluksi annetaan yleiskuvaus erilaisista paikallishallinnon rakenteista EU:ssa, minkä jälkeen tarkastellaan yksityiskohtaisemmin viranomaisten tapoja vastata erityisiin poliittisiin haasteisiin. Havainnollistamiseen käytetään kolmeatoista eri tapausta: paikallisviranomaisten kohtaamia haasteita, ensisijaisia tavoitteita, lähestymistapoja ja vaatimuksia. Asiakirjassa ...