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Issue 5 - 2012
Sustainable Urban Fringes (SURF)
was approved by the Interreg IVB
Programme in September 2009.
The project brings together
partners from 5 countries across
the North Sea Region.
Connecting
Urban & Rural
www.sustainablefringes.eu
5 Presentations from key experts
Launching a new Urban Fringe
Toolkit
Revealing urban fringe policy
recommendations
Examining successful
approaches to urban fringe
management
Sharing new thoughts on
governance approaches
Study tour of the Aberdeen ‘River
Don corridor’ project
A conference sharing the findings of the Sustainable Urban
Fringes (SURF) Project is set to take place in Aberdeen, UK
on 28 June 2012.
Sharing Opportunities
for the urban edge
To find out more or book a free place
contact - Alison Leslie
Tel: +44 (0)1224 52792
alleslie@aberdeencity.gov.uk or go to our
website www.sustainablefringes.eu
The one day event aims to highlight
the competitive advantage offered by
urban fringe areas and offers
delegates the chance to find out more
about the European urban fringe
projects which have informed the
project research and analysis
programme.
This work has revealed opportunities
for the urban fringe to contribute to
the resilience and sustainability of
cities and regions, by creating
attractive recreational areas, improved
greenspace and prospects for new
employment opportunities.
The event is aimed at practitioners,
politicians and interested stakeholders.
New perceptions,
functions & governance?
Urban Fringe
Workshops
The Sustainable Urban Fringes (SURF) project has a discussion group
on Linkedin. Why not join the group and have your say?
Visit www.linkedin.com
Join us on Linkedin
Green Routes for
Connectivity
The development of two new
green routes has demonstrated
the value of the urban fringe in
providing residents in city
regions with access to leisure
and green spaces.
The “Rondje Enschede” route
encircling the Dutch city of Enschede
was opened in March. Aimed at
cyclists, walkers and runners the 40
kilometre route, around Enschede,
runs along the edge of the city
providing a new leisure route and
enhancing connectivity between
urban communities.
To raise awareness of the route a
series of events have been
organised to encourage local
residents to use and interact with
the space. These link in with national
campaigns and new art initiatives.
In June, the first phase of a new
recreation route along a reconverted
railway track in the Province of West
Flanders will be officially opened.
The Stroroute will provide valuable
access to leisure for cyclists,
walkers and horse riders. Allowing
local people access to open space
in a predominantly agricultural area.
SURF delegates from Saxion
University in the Netherlands and
Aberdeen in the UK, took part in an
information exchange in February,
to find out more about the Hengelo
approach to spatial planning &
stakeholder engagement.
The packed learning programme
included: urban fringe field visits;
presentations & discussions with
local officials; and a meeting with
volunteers involved in the
Foundation for the Weusthag Park
in Hengelo.
The visit allowed SURF partners to
build a picture of the project area
and view the progress being made.
Theme Visit to Dutch
City
A series of urban fringe
workshops were held at the
Regional Studies Association
European Conference in Delft
on 14 May.
The Sustainable Urban Fringes
(SURF) project presented a
series of 3 workshop sessions
at the European event, with a
theme of “New perceptions,
functions and governance? The
workshops aimed to explore the
emerging challenges and
perceptions of the urban fringe
and the potential for new
policies, tools and institutional
arrangements.
There were 2 paper sessions
looking at:
Bridging the regional and local
Locating the environment in
the city-region fringe
An additional panel session
shared learning from the
experiences of SURF partners
developing projects in the urban
fringe. This work has shown how
the urban fringe can contribute
to the sustainable development
of cities and regions.
SURF partner Norfolk County
Council was one of only 4 case
studies selected to participate in the
Embed project which aimed to
measure the advantages of taking
an ecosystems services approach
and uncover the value of natural
capital.
The Gaywood Valley project area
was of interest to the study because
it provides a comparison between
options for flood alleviation. The
project is also innovative in its
approach of combining socioeconomic
issues with the
management of land and water.
The project findings are outlined in
a report titled, "Embedding an
Ecosystems Approach in Decision
Making”. Find out more at
www.embed.org.uk
Study Examines
Ecosystems Approach
What are the financial,
environmental and social
benefits of protecting green
spaces?
Report on Local
Landscape
A recently produced State of the
Environment report highlights the
local importance of Norfolk’s
Gaywood Valley landscape,
environment and wildlife.
Urban Resilience
A presentation on the SURF
project and the value of the urban
fringe in contributing to green
and resilient cities was made to
delegates attending the 2012
Resilient Cities Conference in
Bonn, 12 - 15 May.
In each edition of the SURF
newsletter we will catch up
with the work of some of our
partners. In this edition, the
spotlight falls onAntwerp and
Enschede.
SURF Recent
Achievements
Find out more about the SURF partners on our website
www.sustainablefringes.eu
A presentation on SURF policy
work was made to
representatives of the
Periurban Park Project,
Euroscapes and ERRIN at a
Brussels seminar...
Production of spatial analysis
& monitoring for Hamburg’s
urban fringe areas...
Public consultation on River
Don Corridor Framework - a
new item of supplementary
guidance to support Aberdeen’s
Local Development Plan...
Completion of a second SWOT
process and Reflection Reports
by SURF partners - these will
be available on the website in
July...
Publication of the 2010 - 2011
Sustainable Urban Fringes
(SURF) Annual Report...
Sessions on the virtual
flythrough tool were held with
schools in Norfolk, as well as
outdoor learning sessions to
train teachers...
Raising awareness - project
partners have engaged SURF
Champions for their local
project area...
Development of a SURF
Position Paper in consultation
with SURF partners & relevant
networks to foward to the EU
Commission...
Antwerp
The project aims to improve the
quality of the urban fringe in the
north east of the Province of
Antwerp. The Province is working
to create accessible green spaces
around the major cities.
With a primary theme focus on the
Role and Value of Green Spaces,
Antwerp has been working to
establish a multifunctional project in
the urban fringe structured around
the valley system of the river Laarse
Beek in the north west of the
province. Work has included:
Establishing 2 Steering Groups
which bring together different
government officers and
stakeholder groups.
Creating a playable functional fish
stair to combine ecology,
recreation and education.
Developing an online
communication tool to inform the
public about the landscape and
green spaces.
Interacting with the public and
stakeholders through events,
guided walks, information material,
questionnaires etc to engage them
in the process - this participative
approach has been an essential
part of the project.
With a primary theme focus of
Economy, Competitiveness and
Enterprise, the Enschede project is:
Working with neighbouring cities
and area authorities in the Twente
region - this has led to a common
vision and implementation plan
for the urban fringe which creates
a recognisable and sustainable
zone.
Creating an identity for a new
urban fringe recreational route
“Rondje Enschede” which
encircles the city.
Collaborating with urban fringe
businesses for a joint approach
to communication showing
opportunities for the urban fringe.
Working with SURF partner
Saxion University in the production
of a study on the financial benefits
of investments in urban fringes in
Enschede.
Making innovative use of students
in projects through a cooperative
approach with municipalities,
knowledge institutes and
companies.
Enschede
The project aims to create a
distinct and sustainable urban
edge around the city of Enschede
and design an attractive
receational route along the official
border between the rural and
urban areas.
Urban Fringe
Research
Launch of new Discussion
Series
Project Partners are:
The Sustainable Urban Fringes (SURF)
Project is part of the Interreg IVB North
Sea Region Programme and is partly
funded by the European Regional
Development Fund.
Province of Antwerp
www.sustainablefringes.eu
More than 50 people attended the
start of Hamburg’s second
colloquium series at the end of April.
The colloquium series aims to bring
together stakeholders from
Hamburg and its metropolitan
region as well as scientists and
practitioners from Hamburg and
elsewhere to discuss topics
concerning the urban fringe area.
The series will continue in autumn
2012.
Experts from Leeds Metropolitan
University in the UK, accompanied
a group of 20 students to Hamburg
in April.
Providing a transnational exchange
of learning, a joint lecture was held
with students and academic staff at
Hafencity University in Hamburg.
Kevin Thomas, Senior Lecturer at
Leeds Metropolitan University made
a presentation on recent debates
about the urban fringes in the UK
Suburbia
Students learn from SURF
and about the SURF project. His
presentation was followed by a
discussion between British and
German students. The UK students
also had the opportunity to learn
about Hamburg's fringe areas.
The SURF project has
been very effective in
enabling students at Saxion
University in the
Netherlands to become
involved in transnational
work on interesting real life
projects.
Second year students in
Environmental Sciences and Urban
and Regional Planning will visit
European urban fringe projects in
May. The students have been in
contact with SURF partners in the
UK, Belgium and Sweden.
During the visits students will gather
information as reference cases for
ideas they are developing for key
projects for the urban fringe in
Enschede.
Two Saxion students in Urban and
Regional Planning are working on
their final bachelor thesis within the
municipalities of Almelo and
Wierden.
The students will develop spatial
plans for the urban fringe area
between Almelo and Wierden.
The work of the students serves as
an elaboration of the Regional Vision
for the Urban Fringes in Twente.
The topics of this series are:
Regional Cooperation
Demographic Change in
Suburbia
(Cultural) landscape in the
fringe area
Retail and new centralities
Transport and development
axes in suburban areas.