Two new projects started

CHAMP-Local Response to Climate Change is a three-year project, co-funded by LIFE+ instrument of the European Commission. The project consortium consists of 7 partners from four countries, whereas UBC EnvCom acts as the lead partner. CHAMP bases on the good experiences and contents created in a project called "Managing Urban Europe-25" CHAMP brings the content and the model of the integrated management system (IMS) to the next level. In CHAMP national hubs are established to train and support local and subregional authorities in implementing IMS and respond to the local challenge of climate change effects. The project itself will reduce its own contribution to climate change through decreased travels and increased use of new technologies and ways of communication.

NEW BRIDGES - Strengthening of Quality of life through Improved Management of Urban Rural Interaction is a three- , year project in 2009-2011. The starting point of the project is that there are certain main elements within urban rural interactions that influence the quality of people's life, and thus also the attractiveness of particular region as a place to live and work in. These three elements are: residential preferences, mobility and accessibility and provision of services. In the project the partners will analyze (via interviews, questionnaires, workshops) the preferences of different population segments (families, entrepreneurs, retiring people) and stakeholder groups (resident associations, business associations) regarding the three elements in urban-rural interactions and compare them to the existing policies and practices. Based on these results the project develops and implements new I working methods and pilot models to improve the manage- I ment of quality of life that correspond to the needs of people \ living in the BSR. To benefit also other city-regions and the whole BSR, the project produces a set of policy and practice recommendations for regional and national level on coher- i ent planning and management of urban-rural interactions. I The project is part-funded by the EU BSR Programme 2007-2013 and the Finnish Ministry of Environment. NEW BRIDGES | has 12 partners from 8 countries in the BSR.