In this episode of INCLUSIVE URBAN FUTURES with speak with Dr. Wiktor Szydarowski ESPON EGTC Director.
The ESPON - The European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion -aims at promoting and fostering a European territorial dimension in development and cooperation by providing evidence, knowledge transfer and policy learning to public authorities and other policy actors at all levels. As part of a renewal and upgrade of ESPON for the period 2014-2020 and beyond, an EGTC (European Grouping on Territorial Cooperation) has been established to deliver the content envisaged by the ESPON 2020 Cooperation Programme.
Director Szydarowski took over the management of the ESPON EGTC at a critical moment in time, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been managing it ever since. In his interview with Dr Rosenfeld for Inclusive Urban Futures he speaks about managing not only the challenges and change related in the territorial policy making during the pandemic but also about those related to the changes in the ways his team worked.
Among other important issues Director Szydarowski emphasizes that territorial governance, and interregional cooperation, in particular, have never been so important for ensuring territorial development in Europe. He discusses how inclusion can be achieved though territorial policies, so no one is left behind no matter where they are. But most importantly, he highlights that inclusion on macro level is still and always about people, each and every one of them.
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Dr. Wiktor Szydarowski, ESPON EGTC Director holds a doctorate in Geography and was a long term academic and consultant working internationally before committing himself to ESPON. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktor-szydarowski-79917012/
Discover ESPON The European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion: https://www.espon.eu/
Learn more about ESPON EGTC: https://www.espon.eu/contact/espon-egtc
Connect with INCLUSIVE URBAN FUTURES Host and Executive Producer Dr Orna Rosenfeld at: www.ornarosenfeld.com