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.

Overall, URBAL aims at promoting a better management of mixed contents in urban-rural areas. On the basis of analysing functional connections, the partners have identified three problems as common priorities: 1) imbalanced opportunities and dynamics within functional areas, often caused by demo-graphic, social or economic changes, 2) fragmented governance and / or poor co-operation between authorities and organi-sations, posing a strong constraint on the development of balanced territorial policies, 3) competition for land being one of the key characteristics in managing the balanced development of the URBAL area.

Expected Outcomes

Planned outcomes include a strategy for decision making to respond to social needs and a new method on integrated spatial planning, new local area social service networks and alternative sustainable transport solutions, a spatial and economic development plan for estate farms, a cooperation between six municipalities to develop a common action plan for cohesive housing, the establishment of youth care farms, and of permanent shop windows, and an organisation of farmers? markets as part of the development and implementation of new businesses. Also, the imbalance in the healthcare provision will be tackled through developing and imple-menting alternative services.

Activities

The URBAL partners have formulated work packages to implement activities in the field of spatial development. They concentrate on managing URBAL space and reducing imbalances. Among the packages are activities like · developing integrated regional spatial strategies, including the population, for instance by interactive measuring of spatial quality or increasing the use of broadband in social services, · delivering integrated land management with improving the accessibility of the URBAL area, the transport system and e.g. relocating of a railway zone from an urban to a rural area, · managing spatial effects of social service delivery with new inter-organisational chains and implementing alternatives in the sector of social services and basic care provision, · exploring models of governance in URBAL space, fully integrated in the transnational activities by way of an action research design.

Reported Outcomes

Good progress was made in each of the projects five-work packages. Several projects have shown a strong potential in after-project continuation of their activities. Within the WP1 - ten companies in Harryda Municipality (S) are trained in special mentorship to take care of one or two students from the Second Chance School, which is there to meet students with special needs that have failed in earlier education. WP2 - a public transport node has been built at Lillesand (N) as an important means for rural people to work in and use the facilities of the urban area. The result is that more people combine bus and car on their local journeys, reduced bus fares make it more attractive to use environmentally friendly transport. WP2 - design and document of the Gardens of Nijverdal in the Municipality of Hellendoorn (NL): natural design of the 500 meters tunnel roof, which forms a less radical division through the town and is much better integrated within the bult environment. A study has been done on the replacement of the station to a more central area of the town and integration of the station into its rural surroundings. WP3 - Youth care farms. A special programme has started for child care on more than 20 farms, reducing the waiting list in the cities. Special attention was given to possibilities for children with autism. A three days training programme has been developed and implemented about "orientation on care farms from children; possibilities and limitations". WP4 - meetings with municipalities and landowners in Meetjesland region (B) took place to discuss about traditional roads to be repaired. Three traditional roads are repaired and opened. Trees and shrubs are planted along the roads.