Frames of reference

POLICY FRAMEWORK

To arrive at the proposed Roadmap process, OWHC members took part in two important phases.

“On the Road to Québec” (January to July 2022)

This preparatory phase consisted of a series of workshops and reflections on themes involving experts from different disciplines representing some 50 OWHC member cities. The workshops enabled the emergence of general orientations reflecting the aspirations of OWHC member cities, and from which concrete actions aimed at improving the quality of life of residents would be proposed.

Symposium “Working together towards a new urban project” (September 2022)

The Symposium highlighted the concerns that member cities wish to explore in greater depth, and on which they want to focus in order to initiate new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking about, planning, and managing the city.

The three sessions were devoted to discussing the strategic axes and operational objectives and validating the political vision, which is based on four main ideas:

As the core of cities, the historical areas have shaped their identities. As a living entity, the historic city must continually adapt itself to continue being the foundation for the future development of the whole urban area.

Interventions in these areas must preserve and dynamize all the functions that have to coexist in order to constitute attractive living environments.

Their development in modernity must be carried out with respect for the idea that the city is made to live in and for the integrity of their heritage which must be regarded as an irreplaceable resource for quality community life.

Local governments must create and maintain a permanent dialogue with all the actors involved in the development of the city.

The Symposium concluded with the adoption of the mandate given to the General Secretariat to lead the implementation of the operational framework, now called the Québec Roadmap, which will guide OWHC member cities towards the "New Urban Project".

To find out more about the Symposium and consult the Proceedings, please click on the link below:

Proceedings of the 16th OWHC World Congress

OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

Method

The Québec Roadmap establishes the general operational framework for an exploration and experimentation phase which began on November 1, 2022. It proposes a process of collective effort which introduces and strengthens the concept of learning through actions.

Collaborative Networks, based on the principles of Communities of Practice, bring together cities that share a desire to work together on issues of common interest. They encourage participative learning, in which members can exchange knowledge, ideas and best practices.

The Roadmap enables the OWHC to innovate by implementing a participatory engineering tool which, by encouraging dialogue, ensures the recognition and importance of everyone's involvement in the design and implementation of the process.

By combining communities of practice and participatory engineering, the Québec Roadmap seeks to develop integrated solutions that meet the needs of member cities and encourage innovation in urban management.

Member cities participating in the Roadmap progress at their own pace, following the 3 steps of a cycle elaborated to be easily and rapidly implemented and which will be repeated as many times as possible in order to enrich the Roadmap and offer a maximum of opportunities for action.

Monitoring bodies

The General Secretariat relies on various bodies to monitor the Roadmap:

the Mayors' Panel, which provides political oversight of the entire process;
the Network of Elected Officials, which oversees strategic reflections with a view to the Cordoba Symposium (September 2024);
the Scientific Committee, made up of experts from participating cities, which reviews/adjusts and validates technical documents;
The Advisory Group, made up of international experts, which assists the General Secretariat throughout the process.