NEWTASC - New Towns as Sustainable Communities

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New Towns were developed in the post-war period as a planning option to alleviate the congestion of metropolitan areas, as an alternative to urban fringe development. As planned communities their approach to urban development and renewal had a great impact, embracing many aspects of what is now called ‘sustainability’. Yet, built quickly within a 30-year period, many older New Towns in Europe, though economically successful, are now experiencing major problems. From Harlow to Marne-La-Vallée the towns are suffering from uniform deterioration with little or no cash injection for regenerative purposes. NewTASC, led by the Welsh county borough of Torfaen, brings together 8 partners representing new towns in the UK, France and the Netherlands. The project addresses the issue of regenerating post-war new towns which are all ageing - in some senses ‘deteriorating’ - at the same rate, suffering from many social and economic problems. The main objective of the project is to develop key strategies. A network of NWE new towns will work together in order to reassess the original, post-war objectives of successful new towns and compare them with the aims of these communities today. The work of the partners will focus on 3 issues: social cohesion, sustainable physical environment and economic development. Addressing ‘competitiveness through complementarity’ is central to NWE development in general. Through transnational cooperation, the partnership aims to identify common planning strategies which are appropriate to future needs. Outputs will include a template to support planners to adopt a more integrated and accessible transport system, a jointly agreed standards for mapping and developing green-spaces in the urban environment, a set of indicators to measure progress towards social cohesion in new towns, and a planning tool to increase the visibility of cultural and social assets in new towns and an improved market image.

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