Challenges in an urban district in Hungary ruled by a Green mayor. Experiences from Budapest XIV., Zugló Rebeka Szabó Deputy Mayor Dialogue for Hungary (Párbeszéd) 12 th Central European Round Table, Vienna, October 22 nd , 2016
BUDAPEST - ZUGLÓ Large district, area 18.15 km 2 , 125,000 inhabitants - Large green area - Housing estates and old villas - Városliget – oldest park of the city - Zoo - 12 nurseries with 993 children - 24 kindergartens - 4 hospitals and 2 big clinics - Two train stations
Political structure in the council Mayor: Gergely Karácsony, Párbeszéd Deputy Mayors: Rebeka Szabó, Párbeszéd Flórián Hajdu, MSZP (allies in the campaign) Zoltán Rozgonyi, Fidesz (party of the former mayor) + 7 (- 1) members from MSZP + 9 members from Fidesz + 1 member from LMP + 1 member from Civil Zugló + 1 member from Jobbik The basic challenge…
Museum project in the City park - major green lung of Pest, only place for recreation in a green environment for many people - government decided to cut trees and build large museums - no public consultation, referendum initiated by Gergely Karácsony had been refused - Politicians, experts and local people protest: serious resistance and continuous civil disobedience Project strongly supported by Fidesz. Suddenly the group of MSZP in Zugló suggests to start negotiations with the Liget Museum Project…
Housing issue Housing poverty is huge on the country-level: c. 2 million people (500,000 children) live in unhealthy, wet rooms. Cooperation with NGOs (The City is For All, Habitat for Humanity): „Housing first” and „Second chance” programmes – 6 flats renovated „Housing first” was refused by Fidesz as „no homeless should move into my constituency” Plan of new local by-law attacked in government’s press with „bringing migrants into the district” Creation of new rules for social housing was hacked by MSZP and Fidesz together – but at the end it had been implemented!
Homeless people - Growing number of homeless people in Budapest - no prevention, no improvement of social service - Measures in Zugló: not forbidding „living on the street” + new street social service – double capacity - conflicts with the people and the council representatives – „not in my backyard” approach
Community garden First garden made under the previous mayor, in the park among big block of flats area Looking for the place of the second garden for 2 years… - three times at the council, still no result.
Bicycle paths Conflicts with the Budapest-level road maintenance and the National Railway
Illegal waste disposal - Spots of selective waste collection. 35-40 places. 61 times legal process started in the past 5 months. Still going on…
ZEM – Zugló Public Healthcare Model Preventing diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses Strategical cooperation between our clinic, local hospital, Omron (healthcare electronics) and ten family doctors Free screening of the people on different events
„Térteremtés” – Public space planning • Renovation of public space with including the future users, creating sense of ownership – both planning and community building • Butterfly park: sport club, school, park, houses • survey of the need of the community, meetings and co-planning • community development • plans will be ready by December
Animal welfare - Supported cat castration programme - artificial bird nest boxes - event for responsible pet keeping - dog strategy is under construction
Social problems – new social care system Guaranteed minimum income: Domestic income supplement (up to 26,000 HUF , 81,5 EUR), cooperation with the Family Aid Centre Housing benefit Support for costs regarding apartment, certain eligibility criteria Debt management service Cooperate with the Family Aid Centre’s debt management support programme, c. 25-30% of the debt, already after 2 months! o Measures against child starvation
Integrated playground • Playgrounds where disabled kids can play with their able-bodied friends • Initiative of parents partly living in Zugló. Very succesful Indiegogo campaign. www.magikme.net First tool on a playground in Zugló inaugurated on the 8 th of October 2015!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
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