The Institute of Collaborative Research in the Humanities, as an institutional partner of the UN Habitat Partner University Initiative, hosted a roundtable event on Monday 2 September 2013 to explore setting up a Belfast Urban Obervatory. Interested parties from local government, European policy makers and the business sector and community sectors attended the event.

 

Pictured after the roundtable L to R): Satish Kumar, Ann McMurray, John Thompson, Stephen Royle, Colette Fitzgerald, Ajith Kumar, Pol MacAonghussa, Jim Bradley.

 

Roundtable Programme and List of Participants

What is an Urban Observatory?

An urban observatory is a network of local stakeholders responsible for producing, analysing and disseminating data on a meaningful set of indicators that reflect collectively, prioritized issues on sustainable development. Data and information resources produced by the local network are used to support decision-making and the formulation of better-informed policies. An urban observatory is therefore a focal point for urban monitoring at the local level.  Looking at the examples in local urban observatories in Vancouver, Bahrain, Cape Town, Budapest and Seol one can make the following general comments. They are typically housed in an existing city department, non-governmental organisation or in a university. They serve to produce, manage and analyse data on the performance of a city on key urban indicators and other thematic issues relevant to both local decision-making and global monitoring.

Urban Observatories generally aim to do the following:

To create sustainable urban monitoring systems in support of local planning and management process, linking data to policy. 

To strengthen local capacity for the development and use of urban indicators that facilitates the collection of disaggregated data at city and sub-city level

To promote local ownership of urban indicator systems and a culture of monitoring and assessment in the urban sector.

Belfast Urban Observatory (BUO):

In Brief Belfast is a rapidly growing urban region. The setting up an Urban Observatory in the city can not only support effective monitoring of the impact of development projects in the city region, but also enable co-ordinated development of Northern Irish cities and towns. The recent global debates have highlighted the need for a coherent urban strategy and investment plan as one of the key criteria for any region to attract global capital. The Observatory can also make Belfast globally visible through the UN-Habitat network as there is no other UK/Irish city which has so far set up a UN-Habitat Urban Observatory. This project is proposed as collaboration between the

UN-Habitat, the Belfast City Council and Institute for Collaborative Research in the Humanities, Queen’s University Belfast. Other key stakeholders in Belfast will be invited to join as partners.

Aim:  to create a smart ‘information economy’ in Belfast city region.

Objectives:

1. Collect, collate and analyse data related to various aspects of urban dynamics in Belfast City region.

2. Prepare annual ‘State of the City’ Reports.

3. Set up and manage a dynamic website for Belfast Urban Observatory.

4. Provide specific skill development and capacity building services for key stakeholders and their target groups. 5. Organise annual Global Belfast Dialogues.

6. Act as Technical Advisory Group for an All Party Group on Urban Strategy.