Opportunities for daily shopping, services and transport are three factors that the residents are essentially satisfied with.

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1 this figure goes up to 44,9% for the night-time period, 26,1% of the respondents rate safety at night as very bad (Figure 5). Thus, there is a crucial difference between the rating of safety for the two parts of the day, and safety at night is seen by the residents as especially bad. The respondents also expect from the rehabilitation process that public safety will improve a little in the neighbourhood (46,4%), while 18,8% are more optimistic than that and foresee more progress in this respect as renewal work continues to advance. Opportunities for daily shopping, services and transport are three factors that the residents are essentially satisfied with. Figure 5 Rating of public safety by part of the day Figure 6 Degree of satisfaction with some socio-cultural factors The ratio of very dissatisfied respondents is over 50% in all the three categories. The respondents gave a very good opinion especially about the opportunities for daily shopping: nearly 90% of them are essentially satisfied with this kind of service. This is not surprising in view of the favourable location of the residential quarter, since the shops at the Blaha Lujza tér traffic junction (Corvin Department Store, Kaisers, Match and the shops in Nagykörút (Great Boulevard) etc.) and the smaller shops with a smaller turnover in Népszínház utca as well as the Market Hall in József utca not far away from Mátyás square make an important contribution to the daily supply of the local residents. The location of the residential quarter, neighbouring the city centre and a busy traffic junction also explains why 87% of the respondents are essentially satisfied with public transport. The square has a direct connection with the traffic junction in Blaha Lujza tér (underground, tram and bus lines) and the nearby tram stations also provide easy access to the city centre and the outer areas of Józsefváros. 134 Urban Green Book

2 We also investigated the degree of satisfaction with a few socio-cultural factors (e.g. circumstances at the workplace, income, neighbours, health, and living standard). In general we can say that the respondents show a lot of variance in this respect. This is what we can say regarding the degree of satisfaction with the circumstances at the workplace: nearly one-third of the respondents are essentially satisfied, one-third are rather dissatisfied than satisfied, while the remaining one-third could not or did not answer this question (Figure 6). It is not surprising that the degree of satisfaction with the income and the financial situation shows a gloomy picture. 24,6% are very dissatisfied and 30,4% are dissatisfied with their income and financial situation. We also have to mention that there was not a single respondent who was very satisfied with these indicators. Naturally, of all people the respondents who are the least satisfied with the job and the circumstances at their workplace are those who see their income and financial situation as low and bad as compared to the work they perform. The resolution of this problem obviously goes beyond the questions of urban or social rehabilitation. The assessment of the financial situation and income has a strong influence on the degree of satisfaction with the living standard too. It is no accident that the distribution of opinions among the categories is more or less even, although in general there is more satisfaction here than in the case of the financial situation. We could perhaps summarize the results above by saying that the respondents identify living standard with their financial situation and the income earned (the role of material goods), these are the factors that have significantly influence their opinion on living standard, and other factors may be able to modify it to a small extent to a more positive or negative direction. Despite the social and ethnic composition of the neighbourhood (people with a low status, low qualification and disadvantaged position and Roma residents represent a higher ratio than the average in the capital), 52,2% of the respondents are essentially satisfied with their neighbours and the other residents in their immediate neighbourhood. This is very important to note here, since urban rehabilitation may contribute to and promote social cohesion in the quarter. Strangely enough, the respondents spoke about their health condition in a more positive rather than a negative tone: one-fifth of them are very satisfied and slightly more than one-fourth are satisfied with their health condition. This is good news in the light of the cumulative environmental hazards observed in the vicinity of inner city traffic junctions and main roads. At the same time we should also note that some one-third of the respondents are essentially dissatisfied with their health conditions. This result perfectly illustrates and supports the need for integrated urban rehabilitation in the area, since the bad condition of green spaces and the shortage of opportunities for sporting and leisure time activities, entertainment and cultural possibilities collectively contribute to the deterioration of the physical and mental condition of the local population. Urban Green Book 135

3 The above factors emerge as problems to be resolved in an integrated manner locally, and the results of rehabilitation at the social level can only be successful in the long run if problems are handled and resolved together in a parallel fashion. The analysis of the cross-tables regarding the degree of satisfaction of the respondents with their residential neighbourhood in general suggests that the residential neighbourhood has a demonstrable and significant impact on the general degree of satisfaction of the respondents with their everyday life and living conditions. This is an extremely important result, pointing out that the rehabilitation of the built environment and green space has social psychological effects. Urban rehabilitation can increase the degree of satisfaction with the residential neighbourhood among the population, and what is equally important, with their life in general and the quality of their life. The assessment of urban rehabilitation and its effects on the local society Nearly 70% of the respondents said they knew about the rehabilitation process going on in the residential quarter. We can establish that the local community looks forward to and has high hopes concerning the renewal process. This is supported by the fact that three-fourth (76,8%) of the respondents regard the renewal of the neighbourhood as very important. If we add to this the ratio of those respondents who see the process as somewhat important (21,7%), we can say that practically everybody in the quarter supports the rehabilitation process. On the other hand, three-fourth of the respondents also say that the neighbourhood will become better and more liveable due to the renewal. Some 40% can be seen as very optimistic in this respect, who say that life will be much better in the residential quarter after the completion of the rehabilitation project. A similar percentage of the sample expects that the degree of their satisfaction will significantly improve after the completion of the project and they will be much happier. The same is demonstrated by 88,4% of the respondents who say that the rehabilitation process will have a positive rather than a negative impact on their life. In addition, they also foresee that thanks to the renewal works their property will gain value and if they decide to change residence, they will get a better price for their homes in the property market. True, many of them unrealistically overestimate the effect of rehabilitation on the property market: 11,6% believe they will be able to sell their property at a price 20% higher after the completion of the project, 14,5% think this figure can reach 30%, while 13% say rehabilitation will appreciate their property by 50%. These unrealistic numbers can be attributed to the inexperience of the people regarding the property market and to their excessive expectations concerning the possible effects of the rehabilitation process. 136 Urban Green Book

4 Every tenth respondent is pretty sceptical about the urban renewal endeavours and believe that it will not bring any significant improvement for them as far as their sense of satisfaction or their residential quarter is concerned. Most likely these are the people who look at the rehabilitation process going on in and around Mátyás square with a rather passive attitude. By and large a similar percentage of the respondents exhibit a wait-and-see attitude towards the renewal work. The first positive results may play an important role in winning their support for the cause of urban rehabilitation, but it is also important how these results are presented to the people. In this respect regular contact, the documentation of the progress made in the rehabilitation process and the publicity of the results among the local people may be given a key role. We can also conclude from the answers that due to the delay in launching the renewal program the people in Józsefváros expect relatively rapid results and foresee that the effects of the program will be felt in the life of the local community within a few years. This is shown by the fact that 27,5% of the respondents believe that their life in general and the quality of their life will be much better in the next 5 years, and another 37,7% say they expect some improvement in this respect in the near future (Figure 7). The respondents are less able to decide in the long run (for the next 15 years) how the renewal program will influence their life. Figure 7 The future influence of urban rehabilitation on the life of the respondents The key to the success of urban rehabilitation is how the local community can be involved in the renewal processes. People living in the neighbourhood were tested in the last few years whether they would be willing to make a financial contribution to the revival of their residential neighbourhood. The result show that although they regard the revival of their residential quarter as extremely important, only a very small ratio of them would be willing (or able) to pro- Revival The picture made on an public planting in May 2007 at 4 Szigetvári Urban Green Book 137

5 vide financial support for such a project. Our earlier research demonstrates that those who would be willing to support the renewal of their residential quarter would devote at most 5% of their household s net income to such a cause. The same is supported by our results gained in Józsefváros: One-third of the respondents would make a financial contribution to the revival of their neighbourhood, and those who supported this idea would devote 2 3% of their household s net income to such a cause, which is in line with the results of our previous surveys. The reason for this relatively low propensity for providing financial support may be that the people in general have very little information about the actual financing of the project and the issues related to it, and often believe that they have little say in the revival process. For example, 47,8% of the respondents in the Józsefváros sample said they did not know whether the renewal program going on in their quarter would have a financial impact on their household. In addition, 87% of the respondents feel they do not or did not have a chance to have any say in the revival process. Knowing the endeavours of the staff of Rév8 Zrt. to involve the local community as much as possible in the planning and the implementation process, we can state that these results reflect the traditional passive attitude of local communities in the past (as a negative example, more than 90% of the respondents are not members in any civic organisation or association). The issue of individual responsibility arises here, since rules of law and local forums and meetings for the people in principle ensure the opportunity for all to have their voice in the implementation of the investment projects. In this respect we have witnessed some positive changes in recent years and the civic society can now represent its own interest in a more pronounced way. It is obvious that the people of Hungary still have a long way to go in this respect not only at the local but at the national level too. This process can be facilitated by launching programs that create and develop local communities. Preliminary demographic surveys have demonstrated that there are a large number of Roma people living in and around Mátyás square, which induces several serious social problems in the residential quarter. The people living in the residential quarter can be classified into several social statuses on the basis of the respondents opinion, and in this respect the local community shows a rather heterogeneous picture. The results of our questionnaire survey thus demonstrate that the composition of the local community is by no means as homogeneous as we would think at the first glance. The heterogeneous composition of the local society implies a potential for positive and negative development alike, and the success of the social urban rehabilitation program launched in 2005 may be crucial for the future development of the city quarter. It was surprising to see that nearly two-thirds of the respondents (62,3%) were pleased with their neighbours and 44,9% trust their neighbours very much. Thus, the run down building and housing stock does not necessarily imply the crisis of the local society and the deterioration of social relations. Naturally, the nature of the relationship with the neighbours and the degree of confidence in them has a crucial influence on how people feel themselves in their residential neighbourhood. 138 Urban Green Book

6 Social relations play a significant role in the quality of life and can maintain a relatively high level of satisfaction even in a deteriorating built environment. This raises the need for examining whether the built environment (the hard factors) or the social environment (the soft factors) can exert a greater effect on the quality of life of the people. Since our survey did not include any question concerning this aspect, we can only come up with some cautious estimates. We assume that the built environment (the building and housing stock and the housing situation) serves as a kind of foundation for the quality of life and the degree of satisfaction people feel with respect to their own life. The social environment (the composition of the local society, demographic features, the nature of social relations and interactions) stand on this foundation as a sort of superstructure. In this way there is a lot of interaction between them, but they can have an impact on the quality of life independently of each other too. What we have in mind is that there can be social tensions among people who have just moved into a newly built house, and there may be people living in a rather neglected building who live in a balanced neighbourly relationship to their satisfaction. We believe that with a higher social status a person s individualism continues to increase, which may lead to an increased atomization of the society. The people of the high society, with high qualification and wages, have a better opportunity to withdraw into their homes sealed off of the external world where they can keep themselves away from the outer world and its negative effects even for a longer period of time. This option is much less available to members of the lower-middle class (people living in tenement flats, owner-occupied blocks and housing estates), so for them the built environment has much more value because their desire to buy a property with a better location and conditions and the goal to become an owner may have a distinguished role in their everyday life. So, what may increase the quality of life as a potential on one side may take shape in the form of a wish-dream on the other side and can shape the degree of satisfaction of the people with their own life. In our judgement the importance of the social environment is the least relevant in the case of people at the two extremes of the social rank. This is because the people of the highest social status can make themselves even fully independent of others, thanks to their financial means, while for the people of the lowest social status, since they get gradually more and more isolated, and eventually fully isolated from the society, social relations soon become irrelevant. The built environment and the social environment can of course exert and influence on each other. It is no accident that 30,4% of the respondents believe that their social relations will improve as a result of the urban rehabilitation program, and 53,6% say the relationship among people living in the quarter will improve significantly, if the environment is revived. So the local people expect some improvement in their social situation and environment in addition to a better built environment. The repetition of the survey a few years after the completion of the Urban Green Book 139

7 renewal program will be extremely important in that we may be able to learn whether the rehabilitation program has had any real impact on the social relations of the people living in the area. We can only repeat here how important a role different initiatives and groups can play in the local community as far as self-organisation and the creation of a sense of community are concerned. Figure 8 The main reasons for planned change of residence (in the ratio of all the references) The renewal of Mátyás square (Rév8 Zrt Gyula Nyári, 2007) One important measure of the degree of satisfaction with the residential quarter and life in general in a given quarter is the intention to move away. Our earlier research has shown that there can be fundamental differences between different types of residential quarters in the ratio of those who wish to change residence. Based on the intention of people to change residence measured in recent years (one-third of the respondents would move away if they could) we can say that if this ratio is between 30 and 40 percent in a given residential quarter, then it should be seen as high. In our survey nearly half of the respondents (47,8%) would move out of Mátyás square and its environment if they had a chance. It is an obvious warning to decision-makers that this is how local people think about their residential quarter. The reasons are partly traditional, partly characteristic of the local community. Traditional reasons include dissatisfaction with the size of flats; most of the local people find their flats too small (23% of all the references and 24,6% of the answers that rated this reason as number one) (Figure 8). This may seem surprising especially because according the surveys of the housing market the best selling flats in the last 10 days were small-sized flats. We have stressed several times before that this situation can be traced back to a demand governed by pressure (shortage of money on the part of potential buyers) rather than to the size of flats that really meet expectations and demands. Irrespective of the type of the residential quarter be it a housing estate or a closed, densely built row of buildings the problem of size recurs everywhere. It is to be applauded that in the last 140 Urban Green Book

8 two years there have been clear steps toward flats with a larger basic area in the housing market. The other major reason for people to want to change residence is the bad condition of flats and dissatisfaction with the equipment of flats (16,2% of all the references and 11,6% of the answers that rated this reason as number two). Other reasons for the intention to move away reflect several local characteristics: The most important one of them is the dissatisfaction of the respondents with the residential neighbourhood and the environment, which represents 28,4% of all the references (13% of the answers rating this reason as number one). It is worth noting here the role of dissatisfaction with neighbours as a reason for the intention to change residence, which is not one of the major reason but still plays an important role in the decision or intention to move away. It is also worth looking at why people who do not wish to move out stay in the residential quarter. The reasons for staying are clearly determined by financial factors, partly coupled with social factors. The most important reason of all for staying is that due to their financial situation people simply can not afford to change residence (19,1% of all the references and 11,6% of all the answers that rated this reason as number one). Another reason also of a financial nature is the relatively low maintenance costs of the flat as well as its size and equipment which also encourage people to stay. The existence of social relations (friends and relatives in the neighbourhood) mainly encourages members of the senior generation to stay. The ability of Mátyás square, its environment and the district itself to keep its residents does not appear to be strong at all, as is reflected by the attitude of the local people. This is shown by the fact that nearly half of the people who wish to move away and nearly one-third of those who want to stay would move to another district if they could afford it. These two groups make up 39,1% of all the respondents, a significantly higher ratio than the number of those who would move into another flat in the neighbourhood (13%) or in the district (5,8%). The question is to what extent the new residential quarter to be built in the framework of the Corvin Sétány Project can enhance the image of Józsefváros and increase the ability of the more disadvantaged residential quarters in the district to keep their population. The flow of information in general and the information provided to the people concerning the rehabilitation of the Magdolna Quarter in particular are, to put it mildly, not perfect. Our respondents are pretty uncertain as to how the renewal and rehabilitation processes may affect them: 50,7% of them do not know whether these processes will have any effect on services, 36,2% of them have no idea whether they will affect their flats, and 20,3% have no information at all what consequences will follow from the renewal program for public transport. In general we can say that at the time of the survey (2006 summer) the local people were quite confused about the revival processes and the ongoing Urban Green Book 141

9 social rehabilitation program. The only exception is the issue concerning green spaces, as nearly four-fifth of the respondents know that one of the major goals of the project is the green rehabilitation of Mátyás square and the development of green spaces in the interior of buildings. Using the questionnaire we also wanted to examine how the situation of the respondents has changed in the last ten years. We sought a response to changes in needs concerning the residential neighbourhood, employment and working conditions, financial situation, social relations and the degree of satisfaction with everyday life (Figure 9). Figure 9 Changes in the situation of the respondents in the past 10 years All in all we can say that the people living in and around Mátyás square speak about the changes in their life in the past 10 years quite similarly to those living in other types of residential neighbourhood. The results can be summarized as follows: - The expectations of the local people concerning their residential neighbourhood and their flat have increased since the political transition (just like in the past 10 years). More than 40% of the respondents said that their needs had increased; the number of those whose needs had decreased most like due to financial reasons did not reach 20% in either case. Public cooperation at 4 Szigetvári (Rév8 Zrt., 2006.) - The majority of the respondents (71%) reported that their social relations had not changed much; they still had the same friends and acquaintances. The reason for it may be that due to the low mobility seen in the last few years (decades) very few people changed residence, so there were no major changes in their already existing social relations either. 142 Urban Green Book

10 - The assessment of changes in the financial situation shows significant differences. Nearly one-third of the respondents believe that their financial situation have improved in the past 10 years, at the same time half of them report that in their view their financial conditions have clearly changed for the worse. Very few of the respondents said that their financial conditions had not changed over the last decade. - The above result may be due, among other things to the fact that the respondents employment opportunities and working conditions have not improved during the investigated period. Nearly half of the respondents believe that their situation has not changed in this respect, and many of them (37%) say that their opportunities in the labour market and their working conditions have become worse. Our results suggest that just like within the entire Hungarian population after the political transition important processes of polarization have emerged in the local population and although many have managed to improve their financial situation, the majority of the people have climbed down the social ladder and face increasingly greater difficulties in preserving the financial stability of their household. So, as far as the situation of the local community is concerned, we may take the risk to claim that the urban rehabilitation program was launched in the last moment from a social point of view. Despite the filtering down of the local society and the emerging polarization we can still detect certain social capital in the local society which can be a way out for the people of the total social devaluation of the residential quarter. At the end of our analysis we had some factors to present that are of key importance in the assessment of the quality of life: general state of health, health conditions and the degree of satisfaction with everyday life. Unfortunately we do not have good news in either of these cases: most of the respondents say in connection with all the three factors that their life has clearly changed for the worse. Of all the factors the general state of health and health conditions are the two factors for which the largest number of the respondents (55,1%) said that their conditions had worsened considerably, but the ratio of people reporting a lower degree of satisfaction with their everyday life also came close to 50%. Summarizing our results we can establish that despite the increased needs and expectations of the residents living in this quarter concerning their residential neighbourhood, place of residence and their own life, the quality of life in general showed a declining tendency in the past few years. The people essentially expect the renewal and green rehabilitation programs launched in their neighbourhood to improve their everyday life, so it is foreseen that urban rehabilitation will have a positive effect on the life and quality of life of the local people. Urban Green Book 143

11 Our results suggest that before the green rehabilitation process Mátyás square had not performed the function of an agora with its green character and orderly condition. The surveys reveal that most of the local people visited the park only for a short period of time and used it as a transit. 70% of the respondents spent no more than half an hour in the square on each occasion. When they were asked why they visited the park, 50% of all the respondents said they simply walked across the park; another characteristic reason was to spend some time there sitting on a bench, taking a short walk or meeting somebody. Functions of green spaces like taking kids out for a walk or visiting a playground represented only a low percentage in the answers as a goal to visit the park, though it may be due to the imperfect nature of the sampling procedure (families with small kids are underrepresented in the sample). Mátyás square could play a significantly greater role in the life of the local community than it was common before the rehabilitation program. This is supported by the fact that nearly half of the respondents visit (walk across) the park on several occasions every week, may of them even on a regular basis. Thanks to the revival of the green space, the role of this public space will most likely increase in the life of the local community, and the 30% of the respondents who went to the park very rarely, once in several months, will likely visit the revived new space more often in the future. Summary In our paper we attempted to present, through our research findings, the social situation of the people living in the neighbourhood of Mátyás square, their expectations concerning green rehabilitation and its expected impact on the quality of their life and everyday life. The analysis of the demographic and the housing situation showed that the square and its primary area are in a disadvantaged situation. The composition of the population is unfavourable from several points of view, since people with a low social status, low qualification and bad financial conditions represent a higher ratio, and the percentage of unemployed residents significantly exceeds the average in the capital and the district. It is no accident that the people included in the survey are mostly dissatisfied with their financial situation and income. Our results suggest that there are significant polarization processes emerging in the local community. At the same time, the heterogeneous composition of the local community entails the possibility of social progress too, which could be greatly facilitated by the Magdolna Quarter program (its subprogram affecting Mátyás square) through integrated urban rehabilitation. This process is also supported by the cementing force that is demonstrably present in the local society (often good, neighbourly relations based on trust), which proves that the depreciation of a given area and social difficulties do not necessarily entail an irreversible crisis and the full deterioration of social relations in a local society. 144 Urban Green Book

12 The renewal of the residential quarter is also justified by the run down condition of the building and housing stock. The high ratio of neglected buildings that need renewal provides rather unfavourable living conditions, and since the needs and expectations of residents concerning their residential neighbourhood have increased since the political transition, this has a negative impact on the degree of satisfaction of the population with the residential neighbourhood. In addition to improving the building stock, great importance should be attached in the future to measures that promote leisure time and sporting services, public security and safety, and the orderliness, cleanness and peace of the neighbourhood. Urban rehabilitation may play an important role in improving the degree of satisfaction, which may increase satisfaction with the quality of life and life in general too. The local people look forward to the renewal process and see it as a way out of the further deterioration of their built and social environment. It is no accident that they believe their residential neighbourhood will become more pleasant and liveable thanks to the renewal, and rehabilitation will have more positive than negative effects on their life. The population expects relatively prompt results from this intervention, which requires reconsidering and developing several elements of the project. What we have in mind here is the information provided for the people and improving the flow of information in general through the documentation and publicity of the results of the renewal process. The integrated solution of the problems in the residential quarter and the involvement of the local people and civic organizations may help curb the worsening tendency of the quality of life seen in the last few years and encourage people to stay, since the ratio of those who intend to move away is relatively high, as well as increase the ability of the area to keep its population. The success of the revival program affecting the Magdolna Quarter in the broader neighbourhood of Mátyás square enables this crisis area to integrate itself back into the city s fabric both in a social and in an architectural sense and perform its urban geographical functions. This way, urban rehabilitation can significantly contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in the local society. References Baaske, W. Sulzbacher, R. 1997: Inidviduelle Determinanten der Lebensqualität in Österreich. SWS Rundschau Bauer, R. A. (ed.) 1966: Social Indicators. Cambridge, Mass., The M.I.T. Press, London. Erdôsi S. ifj. 2007: A monitoring-rendszer jelentése Jelentés: Budapest Józsefváros Magdolna Negyed Program I. jelenlegi állásáról és monitoring vizsgálatáról (Meaning of monitoring system A report about the present position and monitoring survey of Budapest Józsefváros Magdolna Quartier Programme I.). Rév8 Józsefvárosi Rehabilitációs és Városfejlesztési Zrt., Budapest. 62 p. Urban Green Book 145

13 Erikson, R. 1993: Descriptions of inequality: The swedish approach to welfare research. Nussbaum, M. Sen, A. (eds.): The Quality of Life. Oxford Scholarship Online Monographs. pp Galbraith, J. K. 1958: The Affluent Society, Canada. Moller, V. Huschka, D. 2002: A changing living conditions module for South Africa, Grahamstown. Pigou, A. C. 1920: The Economics of Welfare, London. Utasi Á. (szerk.) 2006: A szubjektív életminôség forrásai Biztonság és kapcsolatok (The sources of subjective quality of life Safety and ralations). MTA Politikai Tudományok Intézete, Budapest. 309 p. Zapf, W. Glatzer, W. (eds.) 1984: Lebensqualität in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Frankfurt. 146 Urban Green Book

14 Experiences of an urban regeneration model Participatory planning and implementation in Józsefváros, Magdolna quarter Dániel Horváth 1 Nóra Teller 2 The framework Cities have been changing continuously as multiple systems. International examples show that long run and sustainable development can only be achieved through complex, integrated programs. It is especially true regarding splitting-off towns or quarters which are neither able to sustain nor able to develop themselves. Generally these urban areas need targeted regeneration tools so that the spatially concentrated three urban spheres society, economy and environment - are considered by complementarily implemented subprograms. The subprograms have a number of interconnections among each other and their effects can be intensified conversely. It has been recognized early enough, that the serious social disadvantages and increasing segregation of the local residents in Magdolna (District 8) can only be halted in the framework of such an integrated program with measures built upon each other. It has been also acknowledged that this is the only way how the accumulated and inherited disadvantages across generations in the families can be gradually decreased and how the inherited poverty can be prevented. Any lack of the harmonization of the subprograms can extinguish the benefits achieved through one program but not supported by the others. But, the harmonization of subprograms has got several conditions: appropriate political, professional, and institutional prerequisites have to be in place. The paper elaborates a crucial cross cutting aspect that feeds into all three and at the same time grounds on them: public participation in planning, implementation and maintaining development projects. 1 Projectmanager. Rév8 Urban Renewal and Development of Józsefváros Plc Budapest, Práter u horvath-daniel@rev8.hu 2 Sociologist - researcher. Metropolitan Researche Institute, 1093 Budapest, Lónyay u teller@mri.hu Urban Green Book 147

15 Józsefváros Rév8, the organization The City of Budapest and the Local Government of Jozsefvaros specifically established a company Rév8 Urban renewal and Development of Jozsefvaros Plc. - to elaborate and manage different urban development projects in people with different qualifications have been working on different urban development projects since The first large project undertaken and led by the organization was developing and managing the Corvin Promenade Project in the Central Jozsefvaros quarter through social but even more real estate development measures. In this project a part of the district virtually disappears and a new quarter emerges 3. A completely different aim was articulated concerning an other area of the district, Magdolna Quarter, a quarter with app inhabitants. Here a program was developed by Rév8 as a long-term regeneration initiative for a 15-year-period. Because there have not been any similar urban regeneration programs in Hungary yet, a model in an experimental phase was set up between 2005 and The regeneration takes place based on the co-operation and co-financing of the Budapest City Council and the Local Government of Józsefváros. The total budget of the pilot phase is 3,1 million EUR 4. The general purpose of the model program is to introduce a new urban rehabilitation method in Hungary. Each program element is built upon active public involvement. This should serve as a catalyst for the public initiatives and thereby create an individually shaped and attractive part of the city by establishing new public and cultural spots and the renewal of the existing ones. Co-operation and public participation in Magdolna Co-operation and public participation are the keywords of the Magdolna project. Establishing the channels and collaboration forms as well as revitalizing the existing ones among the different stakeholders are the missions of the experimental period of the regeneration activities ha of land are affected, 1400 public dwellings and private dwellings are refurbished, 3000 new dwellings are constructed, 5000 parking places ground level, app. 50 thousand sqm of cultural and service area will be established. The complete public space will be redesigned by The budget for the project is 500 million EURO plus 70 million EURO for public programs such as innovation and research facilities. See 4 This model thus adjusts to the challenges caused by the administrative and local governance model of Budapest where service delivery, finances etc. is shared between the decentralized local government and the Budapest level: it has been recognized that any action in the framework of the two-tier government system shall involve both levels of government Urban Green Book

16 The most important task is to make up the lack of dialogue among the sectors (municipality, civil organizations, institutes, citizens, enterprises, etc.) and administrative levels in order to set up new bridges among the different urban stakeholders and to enhance the confidence. The multiple role of the renewal the Mátyás square (Matthias square) in the regeneration project Mátyás square Renewed public areas that are enriched by quality green areas are the key to liveable urban areas. Therefore, attractive, multi-coloured and flexibly usable inner urban spaces are essential for neighbourhoods and their residents. The first action area of the public area development within the Magdolna Quarter Program was the Mátyás square. The purpose of this program element was to develop a Place for the community which contributes to the increase of the resident retention force of the neighbourhood and to the enhancement of the living standards; two key targets of the whole neighbourhood regeneration project 5. The first interventions undertaken in 2002 showed, that the partial physical renewal of the square did not ensure a multiple usage for the residents. Figure 1: Share of no comfort dwellings in the selected area Source: Census data, The renewal of the Mátyás square is not solely action area of the Magdolna Quarter Program, at the same time, it is a pilot area of the INTERREG IIIB CADSES GreenKeys /Urban Green as a Key for Sustainable Cities/ Project - in partnership with Geographical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (GRI HAS) as well as with the Corvinus University - and also of the ASTUTE /Advancing Sustainable Transport in Urban areas to promote Energy efficiency/, supported by the European Union. The two institutional frameworks have emerged parallelly by accident but to the benefits of the target area. Urban Green Book 149

17 A new target had to be defined: to continue the renewal with the unbroken involvement of the local community which can at the end create and maintain a community place that could become a meeting location for different social groups at the same time and with the feeling of ownership. Thus, Mátyás square can turn into an integrating and identity re-building location in the area and the district. According to Rév8 s aims, the cohesion of the local residents is strengthened not only because the square is re-utilised by the residents but also through their involvement into the design and implementation of the new green area. This contributes to awareness building and to enabling citizens to be involved in decisions concerning their living quality. Description of the pilot project targets and actions Mátyás square is situated in the geographical centre of the Józsefváros district and at the same time it is in the middle of one of the earliest built-up areas of Central-Józsefváros. This area belongs to the periphery of Budapest s inner-city, with a very high density of residential fabric. One of the most important parameters of this neighbourhood is its run-down architectural and physical characteristics. The square was partly renewed in 2002 but the regeneration process in 2002 did not affect the original functions of the area: e.g. earlier there was still a concentration of homeless people, and a high rate of prostitution. The small playground in a low quality vegetation milieu with some benches did not constitute a popular place to be, but the area has not offered any other recreational facilities. In 2005, the goals and actions have been revised. The main goal of the revised renewal activity has been the creation of high quality and well-maintained urban green space with new public functions. The renewal project launched in 2005 formulated the following aims: Redevelopment of the run-down area; Provision of good quality green space that matches local identity; Promoting green space integration within a special social environment and its acceptance by the public; Using green space to improve the social character of the area; Improving public security. The preparation and the implementation phases of the pilot project have been achieved from 2005 until March 2008, including the public discussions on demands and expectations of local residents. The preparation phase was a lengthy period, with parallel initiatives that at the end augmented the implementation. 150 Urban Green Book

18 The initial communication activities of Rév8 were launched in October 2005 by distributing coulourful leaflets and organizing a kick-off meeting for the residents. Two further meetings with the public were held a few months later in February and March 2006, all had been announced in the local newspaper. Besides these conversations about the local needs what to establish and how to renew the square, a survey was carried out in the months at the end of 2005 and the beginning of One of the Institutes of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences cooperated in carrying out the survey. One of the most important messages both from the consultations and the survey was that 80% of the affected public would happily participate in the implementation and the maintenance phase, too. March 2006 was the next milestone in the renewal process: an agreement about the cooperation between the Corvinus University and the District was signed on the planning and implementation of the project. During this month, based on the comments and demands of the local inhabitants, three different concepts were developed that were presented in the meeting held mid-march, where both the professionals and the public participated. Planning was carried out in evidence students came around, carried out research on the role and history of Mátyás square, made interviews with local inhabitants. Demonstration of desings in the square (Rév8 Zrt. Corvinus University 2006) At the end, based on the comments received in March, one final plan was developed and presented to the public in May. The presentation was organized in the framework of an open-air gathering, demo and communication materials were widely applied. The inhabitants could e.g. also vote for the materials that would be built in the square. Installing the handmade sitting mounds by recycling materials through public work (Tamás Dömötör 2007) Urban Green Book 151

19 After the discussions on the planning were closed in the 3rd quarter of the year 2006, the District has prepared the implementation plans and changed the master plan accordingly. The final plans were presented to the public in September in the framework of the Health-day, a very popular occasion in the district. The implementation activity was divided into two parts. The first stage which was financed by the GreenKeys was commenced in December 2006 by creating so-called sitting-hills for the square as an alternative to benches. Pupils of one of the schools in Magdolna District, local NGOs and students of the Corvinus University participated in this action. By mid April, 2007, the new structure (pathways, main green spot, etc.) were established. The new pavement was constructed according to the previously explored demands. Replanting was organized and placing the sitting-hills was carried out with public participation in two days during spring The second phase of the implementation comprised establishing a new playground and fences, new public lighting and security service, new green plants were placed on the square by residents, politicians and NGO s during two days of voluntary work in autumn In a later phase of the Magdolna Rehabilitation Project, the surrounding streets will get a changed function thus, the project affecting Mátyás square will go on and the square will be strengthened in its function as axis of the development processes. In total, there have been 5-6 financial sources: EU funding - GreenKeys and ASTUTE, Hungarian Management Authority, City Council of Budapest (80% of the budget), and of course the district. This type of multi-source financing is not typical in Hungary. In addition, a non-calculated added value was achieved by public participation in the implementation phase: The planting of the area by the public in app. 6 hours. The total budget of the green space development was EUR. Challenges and benefits of participatory planning, implementation and maintenance The two tier governance system and thus fragmented ownership structure of public space results in a manifold ownership structure, which hinders effective planning, implementation and of course maintenance. This can be exacerbated by low political support and lack of interest, effects that are very decisively felt by the local inhabitants. Long procurement procedures also tend to diminish the trust of the local inhabitants in projects. 152 Urban Green Book

20 Despite of the efforts taken by the Rév8 team, a declining participation of local residents could be detected, on the other hand, the involvement of local residents was more successful in the implementation than in the preparatory phase of the project. Participation is costly on the short-term, because awareness building and enabling are the basis for real participation, and they presuppose knowledge and information these are elements that vulnerable groups typically lack, and which require a lot of time to achieve. But regarding the long-term maintenance the additional cost of participation will most probably return. After the implementation, however, it seems to be even more important how the maintenance of the square is going to be organized: the financing of park keepers and the social workers will be involved in the next period of Magdolna Regeneration Program financed by the EU. One part of the citizens during public planting event (Rév8 Zrt. Gyula Nyári 2007) Some tasks already belong to the local Neighbourhood Council and the local institutes (Community House, Elementary and Secondary School, Young Help Service), thus, a harmonization of tasks and resources has to take place and stay continuous. The benefits of the program are clear: as opposed to any other projects, there is very intensive public participation which has a legitimization effect and gives a valuable input into the planning. It has been approved that there are numerous tools that serve this latter goal: discussions, surveys, local forums (workshops and events), giving access to information through printed media and leaflets. Mátyás square after the reconstruction (Rév8 Zrt. 2008) Urban Green Book 153

21 The involvement of partners, professionals and NGO s is not only a prerequisite as it is set up by law, but it is a real tool to enhance community building, confidence building and shaping the identity of local residents and the target residential area. Involvement in the implementation and maintenance transfers real responsibilities to inhabitants which serves the sustainability of projects of this kind. Such an approach, on the other hand, needs a suitable continuous institutional framework for regional and local development. The threat is now in Hungary that the amplification of the planning regime of the running regional development funding (EU and national co-financing) requires technical documentations and implementation plans that allow for too little flexibility, time and participation in planning and thus implementation. This will most probably affect the Magdolna Program s next phase s success, too. 154 Urban Green Book