Creating Mediterranean Networks

1. Creating Mediterranean Networks By: Samir Gharieb; Chairman of National Organization for Urban Harmony, Egypt Session #8: Mediterranean Cities: Civilization and Development City Networks. The Euro Mediterranean Area Nov. 16-19, 2011 NOUH Egypt

2. City Networks • A City Network is made of a number of cities that are connected together because of some reason: economic, political, cultural, etc. • For example: Cities that have the best ballet theaters create a network for those who want to see the best performances, and cities that house the strongest real estate markets create a network for those interested in real estate investment. • Any city can be part of more than one city network if it has more than one attractive criterion and have the capacity to join a network. NOUH Egypt

3. Historic Med Trade Networks Greek and Phoenician Trade Network Roman Trade Network http://aulosinternet.wikispaces.com/Maps NOUH Egypt

4. Global networks in the Mediterranean Region • A network is as strong as the reason behind its creation and the number of cities that join it, making some of the networks local, some regional and the most sought after become global. • Most of the global networks around the Mediterranean do not treat it as one • None of the global networks and regions identify the Mediterranean as a region, but mostly as components of : Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Arab States, or the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa). NOUH Egypt

5. Examples of Global Networks • UN regional commissions • Stationed in five regions of the world,  • United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE),  • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP),  • Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC),  • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and  • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) NOUH, Egypt

6. Mediterranean Tourist Cruiser Networks • Cruises start from: Venice, Rome, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and other European side locations passing through few of the Southern and Eastern Med cities such as Algiers, Tunisia, Tripoli, Alexandria, Haifa. There are almost no cruise ships starting from any southern city. • Strengthening the south North direction of the network is questionable for economic and political reasons. NOUH Egypt

7. Operational City Networks • Successful city network in the Mediterranean region should utilize the common cultural roots that had been extending over centuries resulting in comparable cultural values and cultural heritage. • Economy is the second most important base of any successful city network (culture then economy) City networks would only continue when there is an exchange of measurably visible economic benefits to make networking desirable and sustainable. • City networks need to encourage non governmental relationships between the peoples of the region who will directly feel the economic benefits while enjoying their local heritage contexts. NOUH Egypt

8. Heritage City Networks • Creating heritage city networks around the Mediterranean should respect the widely available cultural heritage resulting from being the birthplace of the major world religions and their resulting tangible and intangible heritage • Candidate cities for such networks might include: Rome, Latakia, Alexandria, Nice, Barcelona, Athens, Tunisia, and Casa Blanca. • Art diversity because of the civilizations that were born around the basin and richness in all areas of art: drama, dance, music, theater, fine and visual arts, etc. NOOUH Egypt

9. Mediterranean Heritage City Network NOUH Egypt

10. EXISTING EUROMED CITIES NETWORK • The Euromed Cities Network was created by the City of Bordeaux in 2000 on the basis of the conclusions of the third Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Stuttgart – 15 & 16 April 1999) • AREAS OF INTERVENTION: • Governance, institutional support, local finances  • Urban development and planning  • Environment and risk management  • Society, health  • Culture and citizenship http://www.commed-cglu.org/spip.php?rubrique146 NOUH Egypt

11. EUROMED CITIES’ NETWORK, Below are the cities of the EUROMED Cities’ network: • Germany: Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg  • Belgium: Antwerp, Brussels-Capital Region, Charleroi  • Spain: Barcelona, Malaga, Saragossa, Seville  • France: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyons, Marseilles, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Cassis, Toulon, Saint Etienne, Gap  • Greece: Athens, Thessalonica  • Holland: Rotterdam  • Italy: Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Lecce, Palermo, Rome, Turin, Trieste, Venice  • Portugal: Porto  • Sweden: Stockholm • Cyprus: Nicosia  • Algeria: Sidi Abdellah, Tizi Ouzu, Constantine  • Egypt: Alexandria  • Jordan: Amman, Grand Salt  • Lebanon: Al Fayhaa, Amioun, Beirut, Bourj Hammoud, El Mina, Jbeil Byblos, Jdeide, Khreibe, Sin El Fil, Baalbek, Mansoura, Mokhtara, Tyre, Haut Chouf, Sidon, Brital, Zouk Mikaël, El Kaa, Rahbe, Hammana.  • Morocco: Salé, Al Hoceima, Casablanca, Fès, Rabat, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Meknès  • Syria: Bostra  • Tunisia: Mahdia, Sfax, Tunis, Sousse  • Palestine: Ramallah NOUH Egypt

12. North EuroMed Cities Network NOUH Egypt

13. Creating other Mediterranean city networks • The existing EUROMED city network has many objectives making it difficult to sense its impacts on the member cities and their population. • It is clearly noticeable that countries of the North are participating with more cities than countries in the south, making the network unbalanced. • Northern cities of the EUROMED city network are also components of other EU city networks that are stronger and more prominent across Europe. Consequently, most networking capabilities of those cities are spent on strengthening their EU and global connections; rather than on strengthening their north south relations. NOUH Egypt

14. One Complex Network or several simpler city networks? • Ambitious objectives of the existing EUROMED city network might have spread its resources very thin and made its impacts un-noticed, • Simplifying the existing very large and multi-objective network into several networks with specific objectives for each of them is the proposal of this presentation. • A new city network is difficult to create, maintain and to steer to the right direction; consequently it is easier to simplify the existing complex network (EURO MED cities network) into several simpler city networks, that are easier to manage for a specific measurable objective: heritage, film and art, business, exhibition,…etc. NOUH Egypt

15. The Process for a Heritage City Network, • Heritage cities have the most plausible networking capability as they all enjoy a global status and national interest. • Creating coordinated yearly or seasonal events in the Mediterranean region can depend on their heritage sources and natural legacies. • ROME, Istanbul, Alexandria, Marseille , Barcelona, Latakia , Algiers and Tunisia might be a good start for this network that have common concerns in scientific innovations in conservation, benefiting from cultural tourism in the area, and supporting each other in heritage site management. NOUH Egypt

16. ProposedHeritage Cities Network NOUH Egypt

17. Another proposal is for: A Med-City Festivity Network • Cultural City Festivities is another proposal where professionals will lead the way for networking cities to create a year-round festivity calendar. • Heritage expertise is available in the region with complementary activities that can be developed between academic and professional bodies; universities, NGOs, Government bodies, …etc. • Cities around the Mediterranean are already competing to attract cultural tourism, it is time to coordinate cultural events to complement each other to attract more tourists to the whole region. NOOUH Egypt

18. Managing the city networks • Who is going to manage the network between south and north Mediterranean? Where, how and what are the procedures are other important questions that need to be answered. • Such a network can bring professionals from the south to the north within training and educational programs. • Network management will be responsible for promoting city festivities from the south into the north and coordinating city events. NOUH Egypt

19. Creating Mediterranean Networks Thank you Footer Text