ROBUST: Rural-urban outlooks: unlocking synergies

Programme:

Horizon 2020

Objective:

Mutually beneficial relations along rural – peri-urban – urban trajectories can contribute substantially to Europe’s smart, sustainable and inclusive growth agenda. Well-designed governance arrangements can be conducive to decisions that strengthen beneficial relations between rural and urban areas.

ROBUST will identify and strengthen policies, governance systems and practices that can contribute more effectively to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Particular attention will be paid to the capacities of municipal and regional governments, the related administrations and other stakeholders to deliver and enhance mutually beneficial relations. ROBUST aims to provide practice oriented information about successful governance models applicable to different settings as well as related communication and training material. ROBUST will in this way contribute to a better understanding of rural-urban interactions, and it will at the same time enhance the capacity of relevant actors and institutions to foster mutually beneficial relations along rural – peri-urban – urban trajectories.

Results:

Action and Policy oriented Conceptual and Methodological Framework – a co-developed analytical framework and set of methodologies and tools for describing and analysing relations along rural–peri-urban–urban trajectories.
Rural-Urban Synergy Webs – an in-depth analysis of the connections between more beneficial relations between rural, peri-urban and urban areas, and the creation of value added and job growth, including 5 Thematic Workshops, 11 Regional Workshops.
Enhancing synergies in spatial development – an assessment of potentials and bottlenecks for enhancing mutually beneficial relations in 11 diverse territorial settings, including 11 Scenario Workshops.
Identification of successful governance models, tools and processes that support mutually beneficial rural–peri-urban–urban relationships and opportunities for cross-sectoral cooperation, including 5 Thematic Workshops.
Transferability and replicability of governance arrangements, to contribute to a wider application of successful governance models and tools through co-learning, the elaboration of communication and training materials, and a set of best-practice examples, including EU Level Workshop and training materials.
Differentiated policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the uptake and continuous development of successful governance models at EU, national, regional and municipal levels.

Project partners:

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, Netherlands – lead partner
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE LJUBLJANA URBAN REGION (RRA LUR), Slovenia
ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY, United Kingdom
NODIBINAJUMS BALTIC STUDIES CENTRE, Latvia
TUKUMA NOVADA DOME, Latvia
UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE LBG, United Kingdom
BUNDESANSTALT FUER BERGBAUERNFRAGEN, Austria
PLANUNG & FORSCHUNG POLICY RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY BERGS UND ISSA
PARTNERSCHAFTSGESELLSCHAFT WIRTSCHAFTS UND SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTLER, Germany
PERI-URBAN REGIONS PLATFORM EUROPE, Belgium
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA, Spain
OIKOS SVETOVANJE ZA RAZVOJ DOO, Slovenia
LUONNONVARAKESKUS, Finland
HELSINGIN KAUPUNKI, Finland
GENERALITAT VALENCIANA, Spain
ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH), Germany
GEMEENTE EDE, Netherlands
COMMISSAO DE COORDENACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO REGIONAL DE LISBOA E VALE DO TEJO, Portugal
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO, Portugal
UNIVERSITA DI PISA, Italy
GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, United Kingdom
REGIONALVERBAND FRANKFURTRHEINMAIN, Germany
PROVINCIA DI LUCCA, Italy
WELSH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, United Kingdom
REGIONALMANAGEMENT STEIRISCHER ZENTRALRAUM, Austria