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‘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.
Aim & objectives
The project will seek to determine whether a single model strategy, or models, can exist to help such towns cope with future issues and to regain positions of strength.
The project will also:
§ Seek to raise the profile and awareness of small towns
§ Examine effective mechanisms to ensure small town sustainability
§ Conduct a detailed study of key strategy elements (e.g. partnerships, community involvement, town centres, marketing and promotion, long term planning)
§ Explore location-specific issues (e.g. coast, rural hinterland and city region)
§ Examine the pros and cons of small town cluster working
Participants
Project partners have been deliberately selected to give a balanced mix of EU nations with maximum diversity. One nation from each of the four EU zones (north, south, east and west) are participating and twelve small towns have been ‘hand picked’ to suit certain characteristics:
Coastal |
Rural Hinterland |
City Proximity |
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Stonehaven, Scotland |
Inverurie, Scotland |
Ellon, Scotland |
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Stromstad, Sweden |
Amal, Sweden |
Kungalv, Sweden |
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Hel, Poland |
Lebork, Poland |
Puck, Poland |
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Messolongi, Greece |
Pyrgos llias, Greece |
Aigion, Greece |
Activities
The EU INTERREG IIIc programme offers opportunities that these towns cannot provide themselves, ie;.
§ Identification of common issues
§ Discussion around how each is dealing with EU policy
§ Compare starting positions
§ Share new experiences and ideas
§ Transfer and exchange information and best practice
§ Joint problem-solving
§ Jointly test or demonstrate ideas
§ Jointly analyse and evaluate actions
Outputs
The key overall output for the project will be an indicative model(s) or ‘best practice document’ for small towns in managing change (e.g. a Small Expanding Town Strategy Advisory Guide).
Impacts
The principal impacts will be:
§ Improved knowledge, confidence and sustainability of participant towns and regions
§ Raised agenda for small towns in EU regions
§ Model strategy and/or best practice available to other EU towns
§ Stronger position for small towns to make their case for future EU assistance
Linkages
The SusSET project partners are keen to extend the small town debate beyond the participant four nations and twelve towns. The project will therefore engage with other INTERREG projects and EU bodies; for example, the ‘Sustainable Town Centres Network’, the Euro Association of Town Centre Management, the UK Action for Market Towns, and the Euro New Towns Platform.
Budget
The EU has provided a grant of just under 1 million Euro for this project (50% funding for Scotland and Sweden, 75% for Poland and Greece).
Contacts
This project is being led by Aberdeenshire Town Partnership, Scotland.
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