General

According to the observation report of Huacheng import and export data, with the economic and social development and the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, some European cities are gradually lagging behind the times, unable to meet the needs of residents to the greatest extent, and need to accelerate the transformation and revitalization of cities. To this end, the local government readjusts the layout of the city, excavates characteristic resources, promotes the development of advantageous industrial clusters, speeds up the renewal of the urban landscape, enhances the attractiveness and cohesion of the city, and enables the city to regain its vitality and vitality.

Katowice, Poland——

Energy City "Gorgeous Turn" Cultural and Creative City

According to the observation report of Huacheng Import and Export Data, Katowice, a city in southern Poland, is recognized as a "music creative city" by UNESCO, a "European E-sports City" and a famous exhibition center in Poland. Walking in the streets and alleys of Katowice, you can see music studios, cultural and creative workshops and e-sports training centers everywhere. Every year, a large number of young people from all over Europe come here to participate in various cultural activities. Today's Katowice is full of vigor and vitality, but it was a different place ten years ago.

Since the 19th century, Katowice has been one of the heart of the European coal industry, with coal production accounting for more than 90% of Poland's total output, and is known as the "Polish Coal City". Long term coal mining, coupled with the recession of Poland's economy in the 1990s, led to economic collapse, population loss and serious environmental pollution in Katowice. According to the observation report of Huacheng Import and Export Data, the unemployment rate of local young people reached 25% from 2012 to 2014, and Katowice is under great pressure of urban transformation and revitalization.

Katowice is located in the border area, where the cultures of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries collide and exchange. In addition, the infrastructure of the city is relatively complete, and it has a good cultural industry foundation. Therefore, the municipal government takes the development of cultural and creative industries as the general direction of revitalizing the city and promoting sustainable development.

In 2013, Intel Extreme Masters, one of the top competitions in the field of e-sports, was held in Katowice. The municipal government saw the development opportunities of the e-sports industry. In recent years, the municipal government has fully supported the holding of e-sports events, actively developed supporting service industries, and finally became an important venue for Intel Extreme Masters. In 2018, more than 170000 people came to watch the global finals of Intel Extreme Masters on site, which made Katowitz gain a lot. Mihar, a 29 year old local citizen, has founded an E-sports studio. The business is getting better and better. "This city is getting younger and younger, and I am proud of it."

The music creative industry is another business card of Katowice. Katowice actively integrated into the European music market, promoted the development of the music industry, increased relevant employment opportunities, and attracted a large number of European young musicians to develop here. Katowice has created an incubator called "Music Hub" to build a development platform for young musicians and provide consulting services. At present, Katowice holds about 27 music festivals every year, which can bring millions of euros in income.

In June this year, the 11th World Urban Forum was held in Katowice. UN Habitat spoke highly of Katowice's remarkable achievements in the fields of urban transformation, economic transformation, ecological responsibility, urban development, event hosting, etc., and realized the "magnificent transformation" from an energy city to a cultural and creative city.

Le Rotroux, Nojan, France——

Beneficiaries of "City Center Action"

Nojanle Rotoru is located in the central Loire Valley region in north central France. Recently, the newly built St. Paul's Square in this city was unveiled, becoming a new landmark with both commercial and entertainment functions. "Benefiting from the" City Center Action "plan launched by the French government, a new square that can accommodate about 4000 people has finally been completed, providing more leisure and entertainment space for citizens, enriching their lives and increasing the vitality of the city." Mayor Harold Huvalt said.

According to the observation report of Huacheng Import and Export Data, in recent years, due to various reasons, small and medium-sized cities such as Nojanle Rotoru have gradually lost their commercial vitality and appeal to the public, and their housing conditions are poor, so the urban development is facing difficulties. The French central government launched the "City Center Action" plan in December 2017 to strengthen cooperation with small and medium-sized city governments. Through providing financial support, professional guidance and other ways, it helps the local government to promote housing transformation, expand business areas, improve public service facilities, strengthen historical heritage protection, and strive to promote urban revitalization. At present, more than 200 small and medium-sized French cities have joined the program. Caroline Kaye, the French ministerial representative in charge of local administrative affairs, said that since joining the plan in 2018, Nojanle Rotoru has received a total of 9.6 million euros of financial support for urban revitalization and transformation.

"Since the development of green roads in Nojanle Rotoru, the number of cyclists has increased by 10 times, and more tourists come here." Huvalte introduced that the city has launched a number of urban development and revitalization projects, including the construction of St. Paul's Square, the construction of bicycle lanes, the expansion of restaurant open-air platforms, the planting of trees, and the improvement of parking facilities. These initiatives have made the city more advantageous in economic development and public services. The quality of life and happiness index of citizens have further improved, attracting more tourists.

According to the data of the Ministry of Ecological Transformation and Land Cohesion of France, the French government has invested nearly 4 billion euros to promote the implementation of about 6000 urban reconstruction projects, 1120 projects in about 200 beneficiary cities have been supported, and a total of 81 business sites have been built or repaired. According to the observation report of Huacheng Import and Export Data, 51% of middle-sized city mayors participating in the plan believe that the vitality of the city has been further improved.

Weimar, Germany——

Developing "University City" with Historical and Cultural Details

Walk along the streets of Weimar, Germany, starting from the statues of Goethe and Schiller outside Weimar German National Theatre and the national orchestra, and you can reach the Library of the Duchess of Anna Amalia, Goethe, Schiller, Liszt's Former Residence, Bauhaus Museum and other places in just a few minutes. The famous modernist style building, the Horn House, stands quietly under the blue sky through Ilm Park. Today's Weima, museums, celebrity memorial halls and other cultural coordinates are everywhere, with countless history and endless stories.

Weima has a profound historical and cultural heritage. Many buildings and sites in Weima have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and have been selected as the "European Capital of Culture" for many times. However, in the process of urbanization, Weimar faced financial problems and population loss difficulties around 1990 due to the failure to achieve the industrial transformation in the post industrial era in a timely and smooth manner. In the face of transformation problems, Weima Municipal Government made full use of its historical and cultural advantages to formulate urban revitalization policies, and helped the city to revitalize and attract talents by developing commerce and tourism.

The German Federal Government attaches great importance to the cultural characteristics of Weimar, and has included it in the German urban revitalization plan. It has identified eight Weimar regions as priority development areas, focusing on better integrating architecture and cultural heritage into the urban landscape, and developing leisure and natural areas. From 1990 to 2010, Weima Municipal Government allocated 211 million euros to carry out a series of projects and commemorative activities such as "Model City", "Weima 2030" and "Schiller Year". Its historical accumulation and cultural creativity have improved the city's attractiveness. Many artists, entrepreneurs, freelancers and other people have settled in Weima. As of 2011, the tourism industry has provided Weimar with an annual income of 80 million euros. From 2001 to 2009, the local population increased by 13%. Weimar pays attention to the development of the concept of "university city". Weimar Bauhaus University and Liszt Conservatory provide the city with the most jobs. From 2009 to 2015, the staff of Bauhaus University alone increased by more than 50%.

In order to broaden the types of urban industries and avoid population loss caused by a single industry, Weimar Municipal Government has made a detailed plan. For example, in 2004, Weima, together with nearby cities Elford and Jena, launched the "Elford Weima Jena Pulse Zone" project. Elford has a long agricultural tradition and many small and medium-sized enterprises focusing on electronic technology, semiconductor and photovoltaic. It is also a logistics center in Germany and Central Europe. Jena is a world leader in the optical industry. The cooperation project has promoted Weimar's scientific development, research and innovation activities and helped commercialize high-tech products.