Review: Urban-Rural Assembly Multi-Actor Workshops 2024
Continuing its Co-Visioning Process in Huangyan-Taizhou, the URA project conducted three Multi-Actor Workshops in March 2024 on-site as part of a joint research excursion. Building upon the success of the previous year's workshop sessions and symposium in the region, the research team once again emphasized the significance of urban-rural relations in regional development.
To ensure inclusive discussions with diverse local actors, the three Multi-Actor Workshops were held in different settings, including the Urban-Rural Living Labs in Beiyang Town and Smart Moulding Town, as well as the Rural Revitalisation Institute of Shatan Village. Local stakeholders from administration, politics, business, and civil society actively participated, alongside researchers and PIs from the German and Chinese research institutions, as well as partners like ICLEI and UN Habitat.
The formats included a film screening of the 2023 workshops in Huangyan to provide accessible insights into the process for all participants. Central to each session was the discussion on the main strategic topics of a productive, attractive, and healthy Huangyan, aiming to explore opportunities and potentials for a socially sustainable future of the region.
The participants actively contributed to the discussions on urban-rural development, drawing from a range of suggested narratives and strategies curated by the URA team. These inputs were derived from international best-practice interventions and their objectives. The stakeholders evaluated the feasibility of these strategies for the region, engaging in deliberations on potential implementation sites and local actors. Subsequently, during review sessions involving mayors, representatives from Huangyan-Taizhou, and members of the URA team, the results were contextualized within the broader framework of urban-rural linkages and participatory and collaborative planning.
Complementing the workshops, a Sino-German Cultural Exchange was organized, featuring activities like Egg-Painting and Paper-Cutting. This event provided a less formal platform for engagement with the local community.
Overall, the valuable contributions of local key actors in shaping urban-rural strategies, alongside positive feedback from international partners, highlighted the event's potential to contribute to regional development in Huangyan and beyond. The URA team aims to pursue the implementation of selected strategies for the region following the research phase.
The organization of the workshops and cultural exchange received support from the Huangyan District Government and was jointly developed with the URA project partners, including the Technical University of Berlin, Bauhaus University of Weimar, Leibniz Institute for Ecological Urban Development, Forward Planning and Research, Tongji University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai University, UN-Habitat, and ICLEI.
Programme:
Event 1: Actor workshop in Beiyang Town (Urban-Rural Living Lab#1)
Date/Time: 16 March, Saturday, 14:30-18:00
Location: Village Committee, Qianjiang Village, Beiyang Township
Event 2: Sino-German Cultural Exchange: Egg-Painting and Paper-Cutting
Date/Time: 17 March, Sunday, 9:30-11:30
Location: Center square of Xi Fan village
Event 3: Actor workshop in Smart Moulding Town (Urban-Rural Living Lab#2)
Date/Time: 17 March, Sunday, 14:30-18:00
Location: Exhibition hall of Smart Moulding Town
Event 4: Actor workshop in Shatan Village
Date/Time: 18 March, Monday, 14:30 – 18:00
Location: Rural Revitalisation Institute, Shatan Village, Yutou Township
