ReUrba II (Restructuring Urbanised Areas)

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Nine partners from three Member States are building upon their findings from IIC, including its ‘lifestyle approach’, to tackle the issues of urban embellishment, revitalisation and renewal as well as the problems of urban sprawl and its threat to rural areas. The main objective of the Dutch-led Restructuring Urbanised Areas II (ReUrbA II) project is to improve and implement an innovative, sustainable and complementary transnational network of urban regeneration proposals, to cope with the needs of the emerging network economy, recognising how variations in housing needs are influenced by lifestyle patterns. Sub-objectives include clustering existing knowledge to make it more accessible and acquiring more in-depth knowledge, as well as applying and promoting it transnationally. The project in fact acts as an umbrella for ten subprojects concerning the establishment of a series of flying experts, theme meetings, resource centres and international exhibitions, for the gathering, analysis and dissemination of information concerning transnational strategies and experiences in urban regeneration. To this effect, several pilot investments aimed at ‘recycling buildings’ include: the conversion of a smithery into an information and exhibition centre; the conservation of a disused car repair hall for rental use by SMEs; the interior renovation of a former school to upgrade a quayside area; park landscaping in inner city areas to improve its attractiveness for residential purposes; and the transformation of a derelict church into a community art space and gallery.

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