Positioning of urban regions in European strategies
The European Spatial Development Perspective describes a balanced and polycentric system of cities and a new relationship between city and country as one of its main guidelines. The Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities argues for closer decision-making processes between cities and rural areas, together with partnerships between cities and rural areas and among small and medium-sized towns as well as cities within urban and metropolitan regions. Finally, the EU 2020 Territorial Agenda demands that the mutual interdependence of cities and rural areas should be taken into account by integrated planning within comprehensive partnerships. Conurbations are to assume responsibility for developments in their wider surroundings.
The urban-rural and the macro-regional dimension
City Regions tackled these challenges with its aim of reinforcing and institutionalising city-regional cooperation agreements. With this regard, as well the relations to the EU macro-regional strategies and to the EU structural support programmes are being investigated. A transnational group of experts discussed these issues, focusing in particular on the following questions:
1. What is the contribution of urban regions to the EU Urban Agenda in the 2014-2020 funding period?
2. Towards future cooperation – Are there arguments for a Central European macro-regional strategy?