URBAN PLANNING AND INTERREG

UBC Commission on Urban Planning has now built a network between colleagues in 45 cities around the Baltic Ocean. Since we started two years ago we have carried out four seminars. The last one was held in Gdansk in April. Before we met in Malmo, Umea and Helsinki. The topic for the first three seminars was Best Practice and we have presented our impressions and conclusions in three booklets. If you are interested in these booklets, please let me know.

Step by step, we have noticed that we can not only discuss but also solve planning questions together. We successfully made such an experiment in Gdansk for the first time. We can work together for two important reasons. All participants at the seminars are colleagues, city architects and planners.

Our wish is to continue our seminars next years by getting financial support from Interreg III B (and Phare/Tacis). We need resources to prepare and arrange 6-7 seminars. We need money to make it possible to arrange seminars even at places, which cannot afford to subsidise a seminar. And we can "pay back" by presenting ideas on how to solve important planning questions. Maybe as "Some common Baltic Planning Standards". At our seminars we have noticed that the ongoing processes are very similar in different cities and countries. Planning problems and possibilities are of the same character, even with very big difference in size between the cities.

Regional - local planning

Most of the interests in terms of EUfinanced projects are connected to the regional level. However, there is a clear connection between the regional and the local level concerning planning questions.

Through local studies of problems and opportunities we can find interesting regional connections. From municipal point of view we apprehend regional planning mainly having a strategic direction. Planning which is intended to be realised belongs to the local level. In regional planning cities are often pointed out as the growth centres in the regional economy. Size, structure, location are important factors, having an influence on the possibility for the city to shoulder this role as an engine for the region. The design of the urban setting represents not only an important factor for the development of trade and industry - the city as a setting for production and innovation -but appears also as decisive for the movement of people.

Connection to VASAB 2010+

VASAB 2010+ also focuses on the regional perspective and development. Our experience is that regional development needs the support of local authorities to gain strength. This is a reality in most of our countries - in some countries even underlined by the planning system. At the same time, the local authorities must be included in the broader dialogue to see and understand their role and possibilities in a regional development perspective. This is the background for some comments we have made to the draft for VASAB 2010+. To the potential cooperation projects mentioned in the document we will suggest the additional potential project "Exchange of experience between local authorities on how to support regional development and manage possible negative effects."