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.

There is a common problem of ?poor image?, which was identified by the partners as the key issue earlier. Therefore the central aim is to manage change in small urban port settlements experiencing economic downturn by securing the development of attractive waterfronts and harbour environments. On a broader perspective, the aim of the project is to provide learning strategies for adequate revitalization (physical, economic, and social) of harbour towns. Also, common objectives include to strengthen attractiveness and heighten competitiveness and to examine the administrative options of bottom-up procedures. This shows the importance of a ?social revitalisation?, besides the physical and the economical one.

Expected Outcomes

A series of physical redevelopment of public space along waterfronts will take place. Changes will include e.g. removal of physical and optical barriers between the waterfront and town centres, marking the city entrances, making waterfronts more attractive, the creation of viable, safe and green public spaces and establishing or strengthening walking routes between town centres and their harbours. This will be accompanied by people oriented activities, like waterfront art, events, or web-cams installed at the waterfront spots of the partner projects to be shown on the website. Impacts on the administrative side are promised by the Scottish work on participation and bottom-up procedures, and by the to-be exchange program of young and high potentials.

Activities

Activities focus on city centres and their waterfronts, together becoming functional urban units or complementing components. Examples thus range from rather large physical engagement to very basic planning work, as there are: ? creating a dyke promenade in conjunction with a guest and information pavilion; ? marking the city entrance by rebuilding a piece of ?old? wall; ? extending the walking promenade over a dyke; ? facilitating the development of a Nautic Education and Experience Center; ? upgrading the middle part of a waterfront towards a family park; ? establish a information panel about the history; ? improving the connection to the city centre; ? developing 'tours' of the city; ? assessing development options together with public stakeholders; ? reaching out for participation and identification of inhabitants; etc.

Reported Outcomes

RevitHar project aims to assist small harbour towns at the North Sea to overcome the gap between a proven but diminishing history and a new start into the future. The transnational co-operation and collaboration is of great importance for achieving the common goal that is the improvement of the poor image of the small harbour towns. The partner towns are working for this goal in different ways according to their different situations and backgrounds. Currently all the sub-projects are going well. Brake project construction works regarding the Guest and Information Pavilion were concluded. After gardening work a formal opening ceremony of the new ?Stadtkaje? took place. Due to the RevitHar project and the Sailor School the start of creating a ?maritime quarter? has now become reality. Investments will be made by the Municipality of Delfzijl, the development company Delfzijl and other investors. Aberdeenshire project landscaping works are progressing well at both the Community Education Centre and Kirk Street ? both areas are gateways to the town centre. Also at the Community Centre, an artist Christina McBride has been employed to produce an art piece outside the building. Christina?s proposal is a series of light boxes on one side of the wall. Light boxes will brighten up the building and may even help people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Fraseburgh the Public Realm Project is progressing well. From the document ?Fraseburgh Public Realm Project? RevitHar will deliver 3 projects: the Vistas, Green Route and Walking Way. An artist has been appointed to deliver each commission. The team in Banff and Macduff are working on a variety of projects, to be delivered by the end of RevitHar project.