Telecities network for the regeneration of urban areas
Launched as a Eurocities initiative, the Telecities network is a working group of cities wishing to work together to develop the potential of telematics in the urban environment. It is part of the specific programme on telematics for urban and rural areas, within the Telematics Applications programme of the Fourth Framework Programme. The Telecities network aims to promote and develop telematics applications which support the regeneration of urban areas through: - Economic development and strategies to tackle unemployment, including teleworking; - Social development and improved quality of life; - New solutions to combat social exclusion; - Maximizing the resources available to cities in order to support regeneration projects. Telecities will respond to user needs, clearly defined by the cities themselves, to identify appropriate telematics services and applications. Telecities will promote the development of technological solutions lending themselves to interoperability, interconnectivity and standardization. The priorities for Telecities are to: - Support the development of telematics projects and strategies on a cohesive, trans-European basis; - Identify projects of common interest where European financial support would provide added value to telematics applications; - Develop an effective dialogue with relevant European institutions working in the field of new information and communications technologies. Telecities is setting up working groups around key themes of general interest identified by the cities themselves, including: - Economic regeneration and teleworking: . Networking for SMEs, including information trading; . Training in telematics applications; . Telematics for tourism and cultural applications; . Emerging technologies, including low-cost info-structures; . Enhancing the value of local innovations and know-how; . Solutions to unemployment, including combating social exclusion; . Links with Central and Eastern Europe; - Public teleservices and quality of life: . Services to elderly and disabled people; . Administrative and public services; . Health care; . Education; . Shopping; . Security; . Emerging technologies, including information-server networks; . The fight against social exclusion. The Telecities network comprises both Eurocities members and other cities. European regional organizations which are public sector authorities can become associate members. Telecities membership for Eurocities members is free but cities must nominate a contact person and representative. Cities which are not members of Eurocities pay an annual fee of ECU 2,500 and associate members pay an annual fee of ECU 4,000 as a contribution to general expenses. In addition, cities and regional public authorities from Central and Eastern Europe can become associate members for ECU 250 and ECU 400 respectively. There is also a category of observer membership for ECU 400.