July 2004 : Successful project kick-off in Jakarta

From July 7 to 9, 2004 the kick-off meeting of the EEAF project Feasibility Study for the implementation of Energy Integrated Urban Planning (EIUP) in ASEAN cities and of applicability of European approaches was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The meeting was attended by all international project partners from Austria, Denmark, Greece and Thailand as well as further representatives from Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Phillipines. During the meeting the representatives of the contracting authority ACE (Asean Center of Energy) outlined the strategic importance of the project to close the gap of remote cities in the area to improve their energy situation in an environmental oriented sustainable way. The start of the meeting got also well recognition by high representatives of the European Union delegation to Indonesia.

Aim of the project
under leadership of CENTRIC AUSTRIA INTERNATIONAL is specifically to prepare the integration of energy and environmental concerns in development planning of ASEAN cities by assessing the energy and environment profile and urban planning process in three selected host cities and by studying the applicability of European best practices in the ASEAN context. In this regard, the action targets urban planners in the selected host cities as well as urban planners in other selected cities in ASEAN through regional awareness building and dissemination activities. The energy and environment situation and characteristics and urban planning process in the three host cities will be studied through site visits and field interviews with key stakeholders during the ensuing technical missions. One of the main outputs of these missions is an assessment of how energy and environment concerns are integrated in the urban planning process and opportunities for enhancing such integration or putting it in place if lacking. Another is a set of community-based energy and environment projects that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of such integration. Pre-feasibility studies of selected and highly potential projects will be conducted. It is expected that these projects will also promote the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects at community or city level. The action will also investigate the applicability of European approaches and best practices in sustainable planning of cities. To this end, a study tour will be conducted in selected European cities, an activity that is deemed to be necessary to have a first hand experience in European best practices and face-to-face exchange with key actors in European urban planning.