The project aims at developing pin-point initiatives as an effective and low cost means of improving the quality of the townscape along rivers and canals. The project will involve local stakeholders in order to adapt planned activities to local needs. National think tanks are participating to increase relevance on the national level and to dis-seminate results to a wider audience by means of strategy and policy papers. Outputs will include among others a river park, restored quay areas and an interactive design tool.

The project will demonstrate to different sectors how increased sustainability can be incorporated into new residential development. The project will incorporate several topics in order for this to be achieved including; developing a strategy on the increased use and development of micro-renewables and creating conditions for the adoption of sustainable technologies in the construction sector.

The project aims to develop an integrated approach to the development, management and maintenance of the public domain in urban historic centres. The project works with a wide range of activities involving public spaces, innovative facilities, events and security amongst others. It aims to promote social inclusion, boost economic prosperity and enhance the environment.

Pure aims to develop the various spatial functions of water catchment areas in the urban-rural fringe, focusing especially on public participation, water quality and flood risks. Pilot projects and guidelines developed by the project will address various issues such as integrating water management into spatial planning, improving the multifunctionality of water, discovering water related identities, restoring water systems and storm water management.

The aim of the project is to improve the image of the participating small urban port settlements by creating a more balanced spatial structure. This includes improving the connections be-tween the waterfronts and the town centres and involving the public in this process through a bottom-up approach. Each of the partner will carry out sub-projects where three will lead to renewed waterfronts and the fourth to new methods for increasing the involvement of the public and businesses in landscape improvement strategies.

The project work will concentrate around three themes: The implementation of new economic activities in maritime areas, the improvement of conditions to stimulate economic regeneration there, and the management and promotion of the project. All partners work together on one North Sea related promotion plan, one toolkit for economic regeneration of seaport towns and one strategic action plan for maritime heritage buildings that can be used by all small and medium-sized seaport towns in the North Sea Region. The results will be a state of the art report of successful waterfront development and a guideline for waterfront development. All small and medium-sized seaport towns in the North Sea Region can use these documents. Also included are project management actions and promotion activities to facilitate networking and knowledge exchange between the partners of the SEAPORT project and other interested seaport towns.

The SmartLIFE project will deliver networked business centres in three participating regions. These will dispense training, advice and practical technical support to address skills and capacity shortfalls in the construction industry in three North Sea growth areas. Activities include the establishment and delivery of transnational training programmes for modern methods of construction and self-builders and community outreach programmes. It is foreseen that up to 3,500 people will complete these courses and programmes. The project will also cover general growth area management issues and includes a comprehensive communications campaign.

The ToLearn project aims to address the gap identified and the requirements set out in the Focused Call on the theme of developing a sustainable tourism framework for the NSR.

URBAL aims to improve the management of and interrelation between urban-rural spaces to reduce territorial imbalances. Project objectives include on the one hand to improve the understanding of, and raising awareness among local decision-makers on how to, manage urbal space. On the other hand will the project look into what are the spatial implications of sectoral policies. Activities will be carried out as part of five work packages. Actions will be taken to increase the involvement of different actors to avoid fragmented governance and to decrease territorial im-balances, especially targeting imbalances in the provision of healthcare and in economic de-velopment opportunities. Activities will also support more integrated land management to pre-vent urban sprawl, preserve green and recreational areas and manage the competition for land. In parallel, will these activities be monitored and researched to identify best practice in managing ?urbal? space, which will be presented to the EC.

The aim of the project is to show how the performance of the urban water cycle can be optimised with respect to the built environment. For that purpose five themes have been identified, two of which, flows and purification, deal with the efficiency of water cycles, while the rest of the themes ? water system, water management and society focus on how efficiency can be increased by means of achieving balance between the UWC and the environment. During the project each partner will carry out studies and concrete pilot projects where new purification and source control technologies as well as innovative uses for existing technologies will be tested.

The VISP project focuses on a) the global processes of urban and economic change that are creating new challenges for all cities and towns, and b) future EU spatial policy responses that are looking to promote polycentric urban development as a means of achieving balanced and sustainable futures.

The project aims to improve waterfront development in nine gateway cities around the North Sea. It will be implemented along three themes: develop a learning network; meeting strategic objectives and fostering organisational innovation; stetting standards for urban and social design quality. Specific focus will be laid on sustainability and social inclusion. The project will bring together a database of good practice on waterfront redevelopment and systematically test, monitor and evaluate the application of the most relevant methods in the participating cities. As a result of the partner activities, a best practice toolkit will be developed and promoted.

The main aim of the project is to improve urban water systems. Some partners will implement the water plans developed during an earlier stage of the project, addressing for example the enhancement of the water quality of watercourses and the realisation of their recreational potentials. Several ?new? partners will start on the development of water plans, using the experience of the others.