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Description
A list of key barriers to development and deficits of the municipality: demography and social affairs - the biggest consequences of barriers to development, deficits and problems and Łomża’s key challenge, the size structure of local economy businesses, Climate, energetics, road transport, smart city, leisure offers for residents and visitors
Main project activities: 1. Environmentally friendly solutions abating low urban emissions, 2. Ecological education, 3. Improving levels of urban adaptation to climate change, 4. Improving levels of urban adaptation to climate change, 5. Implementing accessibility standards, 6. Supporting and developing culture, rest & recreation and tourist services , 7. Implementing accessibility standards, 8. Senior Citizen Policy, 9. Reducing negative social phenomena, 10. Vocational Education Policy, 11. Promoting the city’s business potential, 12.Developing business competencies and promoting entrepreneurship attitudes in the young people and children’s community, 13. Developing institutional capacity and professional competencies of Municipal Authority and organisational unit staff members, 14. Improving efficiency and operational standards of the Municipal Authority in Łomża, 15. Co-ordinating and promoting the project.
The most important effects of the project: improvement of life quality of Łomża City citizens, better adaptation of local administration to the needs of citizens.
Benefits of partnerships: establishing a formalized institutional cooperation and to acquire good practices (especially in terms of implementing green-blue infrastructure solutions), ecological education of the society, use of the cultural potential along with the promotion of partners'' economic brands and joint activities regarding the developing of competences and promotion of entrepreneurial attitudes of children and youth from Łomża city and Piątnica.
Summary of project results
The project "Lomza - The city where I live and work" implemented under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 aimed to eliminate the following problems in the city:
- unsatisfactory air quality, in particular the occurrence of so-called low emissions harmful to the environment;
- environmental pollution;
- low ecological awareness among children and youth;
- lack of solutions adapting cities to the effects of climate change (the use of green-blue infrastructure solutions);
- social isolation and lack of integration of residents (including lack of intergenerational integration);
- lack of cultural and recreational attractions in the city;
- low civic activity;
- low level of involvement of residents in the social and political affairs of the city;
- revitalization of the city;
- outflow of young people from the city;
- insufficient support for the elderly and disabled;
- lack of economic and professional awareness among children and youth;
- limited entrepreneurship in the city and lack of economic promotion of the city and the investment fields;
- insufficient adjustment of public administration to the inhabitants needs and need to increase the quality of customer service of the city office and subordinate units
- the need of implementation a new city website, new IT tools for social participation and improvement of the city card system;
- the need of promotion of the city of Lomza and establishment of cooperation between local governments
Main and most important project activities:
Implementation of accessibility standards: Accessibility Plus - Adaptation of Primary School No. 5 in Lomza to people with special needs (extension of the school building with a sports hall together with the reconstruction of the existing gymnasium and adaptation of the facility to people with disabilities) and construction of an external elevator.
Environmentally friendly solutions and solutions reducing low emissions in the city:
Transport solutions - preparation of five design documentation for road investments.
Application of renewable energy solutions (on 18 public utility buildings).
Mobile air quality monitoring system - purchase of air quality bus (with drone).
Improving the energy efficiency of street lighting in the city of Lomza.
Ecological education:
• Education on beekeeping
• Education on waste management
Development of the Municipal Revitalization Programme of the City of Lomza
Urban green areas: design documentation for the revitalization of Jakub Waga Park and the People''s Park
Organization of animation and activation events (organization of cyclical activities aimed at activating city residents of different ages and social integration).
Development of entrepreneurial skills and promotion of entrepreneurial attitudes among children and young people:
• Competition for young entrepreneurs "My business idea – do Business in Lomza"
• Economic education of the youngest
Promotion of vocational education:
- workshops in schools and kindergartens
- vocational school festival
The most important activities in the field of institutional development:
New internet portal of the City of Lomza with a hosting platform.
Lomza city card - development and implementation of the card
Partnership of the City of Lomza with a Partner from the Donor States.
Partnership between the City of Lomza and the City of Bydgoszcz
Cyclic customer satisfaction surveys
As a result of the project, the objectives in the following dimensions have been met:
• environmental: increased adaptation to climate change – use of green and blue infrastructure solutions, improved air quality, increased awareness and environmentally-friendly attitudes among the public;
• economic: stimulation of entrepreneurship among young people and children, economic
promotion of the city and investment areas, connecting the educational offer with the labour
market;
• social: application of accessibility standards in different areas of the city, increased participation of seniors, citizens with special needs, families with children, young people; development of the Municipal Revitalisation Programme;
• cultural: improvement in the quality of leisure activities, increase in the type of services, including those using ICT, which will contribute to harnessing the city''s potential, the accessibility of cultural facilities and an increase in interest among residents and tourists;
• institutional: broader involvement of the public in co-decision-making processes (effective
forms of public consultation), readiness to cooperate with foreign partners, experience of working in an extended team, composed of various stakeholders.
The project brought a new perspective on city development – accessibility, residents, co-decision-making, ecology, adaptation to climate change, revitalization, entrepreneurship. Through coordinated actions in the environmental, cultural, social and institutional dimensions, Lomza creates an attractive and friendly environment for living, working and developing for its residents. The balance between these dimensions is crucial for achieving lasting and sustainable development of the city.
What we have learned: activation of city residents, especially the elderly, people with special needs and young people; activation of children and young people in the field of ecology and care for the environment organization of various forms of social consultations; use of various forms of informing stakeholders; formulation of content in non-specialist language; promotion of vocational education and entrepreneurial attitudes among young people; organization of foreign and domestic study visits; effective cooperation and communication between the office, units, non-governmental organizations and residents - work in an extended team composed of various stakeholders; promotion of the city, e.g. by evoking positive associations.
Summary of bilateral results
As part of the project, we carried out six study visits under bilateral cooperation, three at each of the Partners. The cooperation included environmental, social and educational dimensions. The added value was the good practices developed under the bilateral cooperation, bringing benefits within the framework of the institutional dimension.Under environmental dimension the action was to develop environmentally friendly and low emission reducing solutions in the city. During designing new technical documentation, infrastructural solutions were applied, taking into account the needs of the natural environment, contributing to the improvement of its quality, among others by reducing exhaust emissions, noise and vibration levels. Solutions protecting the environment are used (e.g. road drainage with rainwater drainage, LED lighting). Under social dimension the aim was to increasing social inclusion and well-being - to improve the quality of standard of living of inhabitants by working with social inclusion, citizen participation, youth involvement in policy making, senior policy and engagement in society, as well as social sustainability. Under educational dimension the aim of the action was to reduce deficits in the economic dimension - mainly in the field of development and promotion of vocational education. The planned results of the project is changing the attitude towards vocational education among students and their parents in Lomza, making the process of vocational education more attractive and modernized, and adapting the educational market to the requirements of the labour market.In all above dimension we use good practice and experience that Partner share with us during workshops, study visits (in site), and on-line meetings.Extra added value is continuation the bilateral cooperation, especially under social dimension, regarding civil budget and social participation. The new partnership agreement has been signed.