|
INTERREG IIIC SusSET PROJECT: CITY TOWNS WORKSHOPS
on 12 MAY 2006 – PYRGOS
Q: Does being a city town make any difference to a town strategy?
A: Not in terms of process, but focus on specific items (see conclusions below):
Key discussion points
Ø Stating a reality
To be a town near a big town is a reality, neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. Geography cannot be changed, you have to accept it.
Although big towns are very competitive, the majority of small towns are in a positive frame of mind towards big towns proximity (services and culture available at close distance, better quality of life in small towns), provided that:
§ Infrastructure and transport are good (not always the case!)
§ Good shopping facilities (supermarkets etc.) are available (efforts made in some cases)
Aigio feels less happy, feeling the pressure of Patra (+- 40 km) and even Athens (+- 160 km).
Agreement: Maximize opportunities, keep track, ensure long-term sustainability
Ø Weak points:
People leaving or commuting, spend less in town, dormitory, difficult to keep people there, to start a new venture and keep it viable, no incentives, funding problems, town centres lack vitality, sometimes poor infrastructure….
Ø Strong point:
Potential available in different sectors (see desired solutions)
Ø Desired solutions
Tourism, environment, shopping attractiveness, heritage, small highly specialised complementary industrial units, high level specialised services (marinas…), town centre attractiveness/revitalisation, events, traditional festivals…
Agreement: Focus on UNICITY, promote IDENTITY, enhance ATTRACTIVITY (for citizens, visitor, business)
Agreement: Although diversified, it has been recognized that the desired solutions are, or fit in two of the SusSET themes Tourism, marketing and promotion and Planning, conservation, heritage.
Long term planning, Partnership and town management, Links with Europe (funding!) are prerequisites.
Conclusions
As a first trend, a “tailor made” model for city towns (taking as a reference the WTS model framework) seems to focus on UNICITY, IDENTITY, ATTRACTIVITY (for citizens, visitors, business) through Tourism, marketing and promotion and Planning, conservation, heritage. Long term planning, Partnership and town management, Links with Europe are seen as background prerequisites to sustainability. (see chart 1, an “umbrella” model)
Agreement on future work: More research and deepening of the themes are needed, as well as further exchange of new good practices, if available. In the themes we will test the “umbrella”.
Other discussion points:
Ø The framework model:
Themes are in general accepted.
“Other” themes: agreement on leaving to consultants to decide. Some people think there are too many. Other think that it is good to have them there, even if they are not all equally relevant to everybody. It is reasonable to assume that a “tailor made” model will focus on less.
Ø Environment: it is good to mention it explicitly under the themes or somewhere else in the model framework
Ø Youth conference: at the end, the group had time and opportunity to hear a more detailed presentation.
|
