progress reports. In line with the original sustainability report, the reports are formally
adopted.
4 Case Study—Towards Municipal
Sustainability Strategies in North
Rhine-Westphalia
The presented cooperative planning approach
with its CIP serves as the basis for the Europewide unique model project GNK NRW, which
was carried out in 15 model municipalities in
NRW, Germany (see Fig. 5). Even though NRW
is the most-populated federal state in Germany,
with approximately 17.7 million inhabitants and
a high population density of 524 people per km
2 ,
it has very heterogeneous settlement structures.
While urban structures such as the Rhine Ruhr
metropolitan region are very condensed, there are
several comparatively rural regions in NRW
(e.g., Sauerland with 198 people per km
2 ).
Hence, the attending municipalities were faced
with different demographic, economic and
structural initial situations that had to be considered by way of individual analysis and adapted process support.
Beginning in early 2016, the 15 municipalities
involved, representing 2.5 million people, transferred the SDGs to the local level by elaborating
on an individual IMSS with specific local
objectives in the context of the Agenda 2030.
Following the principles “within the municipality
for the municipality” and “within the municipality for the world”, the process of IMSS
development had two overall objectives:
(1) Considering local challenges and an urban
development that links ecological, social and
economic concerns regarding the planetary
boundaries; and
(2) Promoting the One World perspective and
the associated responsibility towards people
in other parts of the world, especially those
in the Global South.
During the 28-month project duration, the 15
model municipalities developed sustainability
strategies that are not focused solely on sectoral
subjects such as climate and energy, economy
and employment or education; they also worked
out comprehensive target systems with strategic
and operational objectives and defined responsible actors and necessary resources for their
implementation. As a result of the two-and-ahalf-year process, the municipalities now own an
integrated sustainability strategy, which was
developed in corporate responsibility with different stakeholders, decided and adopted by the
formal decision-making bodies, and will be
updated in a regular rotation. Sharing these
experiences even beyond municipalities being
part of the project requires taking part in
Fig. 4 Components of IMSS and four-step participation process; Source Own illustration
A Participatory Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Implementing …
247
adopted.
4 Case Study—Towards Municipal
Sustainability Strategies in North
Rhine-Westphalia
The presented cooperative planning approach
with its CIP serves as the basis for the Europewide unique model project GNK NRW, which
was carried out in 15 model municipalities in
NRW, Germany (see Fig. 5). Even though NRW
is the most-populated federal state in Germany,
with approximately 17.7 million inhabitants and
a high population density of 524 people per km
2 ,
it has very heterogeneous settlement structures.
While urban structures such as the Rhine Ruhr
metropolitan region are very condensed, there are
several comparatively rural regions in NRW
(e.g., Sauerland with 198 people per km
2 ).
Hence, the attending municipalities were faced
with different demographic, economic and
structural initial situations that had to be considered by way of individual analysis and adapted process support.
Beginning in early 2016, the 15 municipalities
involved, representing 2.5 million people, transferred the SDGs to the local level by elaborating
on an individual IMSS with specific local
objectives in the context of the Agenda 2030.
Following the principles “within the municipality
for the municipality” and “within the municipality for the world”, the process of IMSS
development had two overall objectives:
(1) Considering local challenges and an urban
development that links ecological, social and
economic concerns regarding the planetary
boundaries; and
(2) Promoting the One World perspective and
the associated responsibility towards people
in other parts of the world, especially those
in the Global South.
During the 28-month project duration, the 15
model municipalities developed sustainability
strategies that are not focused solely on sectoral
subjects such as climate and energy, economy
and employment or education; they also worked
out comprehensive target systems with strategic
and operational objectives and defined responsible actors and necessary resources for their
implementation. As a result of the two-and-ahalf-year process, the municipalities now own an
integrated sustainability strategy, which was
developed in corporate responsibility with different stakeholders, decided and adopted by the
formal decision-making bodies, and will be
updated in a regular rotation. Sharing these
experiences even beyond municipalities being
part of the project requires taking part in
Fig. 4 Components of IMSS and four-step participation process; Source Own illustration
A Participatory Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Implementing …
247