Publications & Media
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH:
Strengthening rural-urban links
Improving cooperation between communities and businesses from urban and rural areas can generate mutual economic, social and environmental benefits. That’s why the Rural Development Programme (RDP) planning process for the 2014-2020 programming period - which is now underway in all Member States - is being guided by proposals that emphasise the relevance of rural-urban linkages.
Rural-urban synergies are not limited to rural development policy; other EU policy areas, notably cohesion and environment policy, are likewise looking to boost territorial connectivity. Policy, programme, and project-led approaches can all offer useful opportunities and Member States are being encouraged to consider how EU funding might help.
Of course, knowledge gaps still exist about how best to strengthen rural-urban linkages. Initiatives like the EU-funded RURBAN partnership are helping to bridge these gaps by facilitating and collating learning experiences from around Europe. With this in mind, the partnership organised an awareness-raising seminar , in November, in Metz, France.
As Charlina Vitcheva, Director, Directorate-General Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission noted, "rural urban partnerships are a key dimension of territorial cohesion. We have to concentrate our efforts to bring territories together to an equal level of development."
The practical outcomes from the Metz event are useful for RDP planning for the 2014-2020 programming period. Delegates from all policy areas were urged to find a place for rural-urban partnership work during their discussions with the European Commission regarding proposals for the new programming period.
The speakers at the event, which also included representatives from the European Parliament and OECD, recommended that Member States explore how policy and programme level collaborations, especially between LEADER LAGs and Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) groups, can be harnessed to pilot projects.
Action-oriented approaches to rural-urban partnerships were seen to be better for producing tangible results than theoretical modelling. Food, innovation, energy, transport, quality of life services and tourism are among the potential project themes that Member States can pilot. Networking the results of such projects helps to bridge the aforementioned knowledge gap. The learning process is further enhanced when a robust project monitoring and evaluation system is put in place to order to help track and steer performance towards the intended goals.
The success factors identified by the RURBAN partnership, point to the importance of equality between rural and urban partners in the decision-making processes and funding allocations. Working on territories defined by ‘functionality (MS Word)’ (i.e. not necessarily administrative borders) is another recommendation for effective rural-urban partnerships.
A follow-up RURBAN event, which will provide more practical guidance on achieving successful rural-urban development outcomes, is scheduled for spring 2013, in Warsaw.
