Stonehaven is one of 12 towns participating in the SusSET Project.

‘SUSTAINING SMALL EXPANDING TOWNS’ (SusSET):

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN 12 TOWNS FROM

(I)ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND

(II) VASTRA GOTALAND, SWEDEN

(III) POMERANIA REGION, POLAND,

(IV) WESTERN GREECE.

AN EU INTERREG IIIC FUNDED PROJECT

Purpose

The SusSET project concerns finding the best ‘coping strategies’ for small traditional, yet expanding, towns.

            Reason



          Throughout the EU, many small traditional towns (5-50,000 pop) experience similar difficulties. Expanding towns suffer from ‘growing pains’, such as land shortage for business, high car dependency, loss of traditional function, increasing dormitory and/or retirement status, shortage of community facilities, decrease in community origins and ownership, and often a crisis in identity. Small towns are very often neglected in national policy, slipping through the net between ‘cities’ and ‘remote rural’. However, sometimes as much as 50% of national populations live in small towns, so their contribution to social cohesion, balanced development and community harmony across Europe is significant.



          See main SusSET Website

            Other SusSET Information

Reports from Susset Conference in Sweden

Reports from Susset Conference in Poland

Reports from Susset Conference in Greece