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INTRODUCTION

Neighbourhood Empowerment

The N-POWER Project aims to support more innovative "neighborhood development policies", allowing the cities of the EMR to reintegrate troubled neighborhoods and their population into a positive urban dynamic. These policies (often grouped under the banner of "city policies") traditionally focus on heavy and expensive physical renovation of neighborhoods, not always effective in the long term. In addition, the public funds available for this type of operation are limited. The N-POWER project will offer lighter and more co-constructed complementary approaches co-managed with the inhabitants of these neighborhoods (empowerment approach). The aim is not only to reduce environmental inequalities between neighborhoods, but also to contribute to their economic revitalization, through the creation of new local activities and jobs, and to the social development of neighborhoods (through effects in terms of learning, social integration, social cohesion and collective organizing capacity).

For this, N-POWER relies on a partnership from all regions of the EMR, involving local public authorities (principal and secondary cities of the EMR) and key actors in research and teaching. LEMA (Local Environment Management and Analysis), associated with the Urban & Environmental Engineering (UEE) research unit of the University of Liège, is the coordinator of the project. The cities of Liège, Seraing (city administration and Arebs), Verviers, Eupen, Genk (Belgium), Heerlen (Netherlands), and Aachen (Germany) are the operational local partners, enabling the implementation of pilot projects. The University of Hasselt and the Hogeschool Zuyd will serve as academic support. Two social organizations: RISO Vlaams-brabant and Rimo Limburg also join the partnership. This transborder cooperation brings an added value for the development of the projects and its actions.

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