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A clear example of the focus on area-oriented policy measures can be found in the so-
called ‘entrepreneurial zones’. Last year, the French government has pointed out 37 zones
franches to promote economic development in urban areas that suffer from high
unemployment and other social problems, by means of fiscal exemptions. The Dutch
government has also launched the notion of entrepreneurial zones in the Major-Cities
Policy aiming to promote economic regeneration in deprived urban areas. In the United
Kingdom similar policy measures have already been introduced in the 1980s.
Ireland: the explicit urban-renewal act
The policy of the national government in Ireland is not comparable to the explicit policies
conducted in United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. Most of Irish national policy
affecting cities is sectorial policy, but Ireland also pursues explicit urban policy of a kind
in the shape of the Urban Renewal programme ensuing from the Urban Renewal Acts of
1986 and 1987. These Acts focused first and foremost on the redevelopment of urban
areas, in particular the Irish inner cities. The first emphasis is on physical regeneration,
but schooling opportunities and the quality of the living environment also figure in the
programme, although the financial structure of the policy has stimulated mostly
commercial development (offices). At first, the policy addressed only a few zones in five
cities, but by now a hundred programmes are operative in 35 urban centres. In contrast to,
for instance, Dutch town renewal, which addressed not only the cities but all local units,
Irish renovation is mainly directed to the innercity areas. At present, the policy is co-
funded from the European Union. Moreover, in Dublin a separate independent
organisation has been formed to attend to the process of urban renewal.
Spatial planning and sectorial policies
Next to the explicit urban policy responses, the United Kingdom, France and the
Netherlands pursue a broad range of other national policies that have a major impact on
cities. These policy responses still take up a great part of the policies that influence urban
development. For instance, since the 1980s urban centres have been made the core of
Dutch spatial planning policy. In the other member states (with the exemption of Ireland
mentioned above) the national responses to urban issues and challenges have not been
shaped into explicit national urban policy. In these counties the national policy responses
are to be found in the spatial planning policy and other sectorial policy measures.
Italy and Portugal: cities in discussion
In Italy, there had hardly been any interest for the problems of towns until the 1990s.
Since 1990 a different course has been sailed; a law has been passed to open the way for
administration on the level of the metropolitan region, though no final decision has yet
been made in any of the selected urban areas. Besides, the Minister for Public Works has
had 'urban areas' added to his portfolio. The remaining sectorial policy now also takes the
cities into account. The government aims at more integration in land management, urban
planning and environmental policies, to achieve the sustainable development of urban
areas.