Urban Modernization Advocacy by North-Progressive Party in Construction Sector - Nord-SPD advocates for contemporary upgrading in urban planning
In a bid to address growing social inequalities and enhance citizens' trust in political processes, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Schleswig-Holstein has proposed a modernization of urban development funding. This reform aims to make the funding more democratic, regionally adaptive, and socially just.
The SPD's proposal comes at a time when citizens increasingly perceive progress as distant or inaccessible, and there is a growing demand for social cohesion, orientation, and justice amid global upheavals and inequalities. The party acknowledges that despite political compromises, citizens expect positive changes and often distrust whether those changes can be effectively realized.
The modernization aims to ensure better cooperation between federal, state, and local levels, and increase citizen participation in decision-making, aligning urban development with citizens' needs and contemporary challenges. This would help address inequalities and support inclusive growth in cities and municipalities across Schleswig-Holstein.
The SPD also emphasizes the importance of collaboration with regional branches to implement strategies tailored to local needs, which implies a decentralization and modernization of funding allocation and management processes in urban development.
The federal government has already decided to modernize and simplify urban development funding. However, the modernization could potentially require additional bureaucratic effort in Schleswig-Holstein due to the adjustments necessary for urban development funding.
The SPD is concerned that a higher hurdle for funding could exclude many projects from the outset. The party urges the state government to engage in dialogue with municipalities to shape urban development funding in a long-term and future-proof manner.
Currently, the urban development funding in Schleswig-Holstein is shared among the federal and state governments and municipalities, with each contributing around 22.4 million euros and the remaining third financed by the municipalities. However, the state's share for urban development funding is being taken from the municipal financial equalization, causing municipalities to bear the state's share.
In 2024, the Ministry of the Interior distributed 67 million euros to 39 municipalities for urban development. The SPD is urging the state government to finance its share for urban development funding from its own budget in the future.
The federal government's plan to gradually double federal funding for urban development by 2029 would only provide new room for maneuver for municipalities if the state also contributes its own share. The SPD motion suggests that this increase would only benefit municipalities if the state also contributes its own share in urban development funding.
The SPD's call for modernization of urban development funding in Schleswig-Holstein is part of a broader political program aimed at renewing urban development policy and funding to better align it with current social and economic challenges, ensuring a more participatory, responsive, and equitable approach to urban development.
- To address the increasing demand for socially just urban development and enhance citizens' trust, the SPD proposes to allocate more funds towards vocational training programs in Schleswig-Holstein, focusing on making such training more accessible and relevant to local businesses and the needs of the region.
- In the pursuit of financing this modernization of urban development, the SPD argues that the state government should dedicate a substantial portion of its budget towards urban development, thus reducing the financial burden on municipalities and ensuring a more equitable distribution of funds.
