Waterfront Communities Project - Learning from Europe - John Devlin Director of Development & Enterprise
Waterfront Communities Project
- Learning from Europe -
John DevlinDirector of Development &
Enterprise
What is Interreg III?
• European Union initiative to encourage transnational co-operation in spatial planning
• Encourage harmonious and balanced development in the European territory
• I3b: Transnational co-operation in geographic areas
Interreg Partnerships
• Lead Partner – Project management, co-ordination of partnership and delivery and liaison with North Sea Secretariat
• Transnational work programme and meetings
• Partners develop local and regional partnerships and content to feed in and share transnational best practice with local partners
Transnational Benefits
• Combined effect greater than separate actions
• Sharing tools and resources to tackle similar issues
• Exploring different approaches to tackling a common problem
• Exchanging experience and best practice of cross-sectoral partners
Waterfront Communities Project
• Edinburgh City-led transnational research project
• 9 cities participating – North Sea rim• Academic Partner – Heriot Watt
University• Topic: best practice in waterfront
regeneration
Partner map
i. Edinburgh
i. Heriot-Watt
ix Gateshead
vi Hull
iv Aalborg
vii Goteborg
ii Hamburg
viii Odense
v Schiedam
iii Oslo
Waterfront Communities Project
• Transnational learning network • Research framework• Impact on local, regional and national
planning guidance and policies • Innovative approach to sustainable and
inclusive redevelopment of brownfield waterfront sites
• Development of a “Toolkit”• Each city leading on a Work Package and
contributing into other’s work packages
The problem:
• Historic functions of waterfronts & docks
• Trade / military use• Rivers as sewers• Transport infrastructure• Disconnection from the hinterland• Old uses gone
Gentrification?
• Open access to the waterfront• Underwrite public right of access
(Dublin)• Avoid monocultures• Activate the waterfront• Live –work - play
21st Century City Living
• Privacy• Flexibility• Identity• Security
• Sustainability• Affordability• Community • Diversity
Euroscape Workshops on:
• Urban Coding• Social Mapping• 21st C Living• Urban Systems• Sustainable Communities• Delivering the Vision
Conference outputs
Are incorporated in:Euroscape Conference BookPolicy BriefingsPresentations to partners at TransnationalsWorkshops
Gateshead outputs to date:
• Euroscape conference• Research database on housing• Policy Briefing document• Secondments
Gothenburg, Hamburg, Aalborg…
• Study visitsCopenhagen/Malmo, Hamburg (Sustainability), Copenhagen,
Malmo, Boston…
• Computer predictive tool
012345
1
2
3
4
5
678
9
10
11
12
13
Series1
Computer predictive tool: “SARA”
Survey & Analysis of Residential Areas
1 Privacy
2 Flexibility
3 Identity
4 Security
5 Sustainability
6 Acceptability
7 Buildability
8 Affordability
9 Community
10 Diversity
+
11 Design Quality
12 Public Realm Quality
13 (parameter equaliser)
What have we learned:
• Alternative tenure systems• Imaginative social intervention systems• Quality of public realm – kick starts
regeneration• Novel development approaches• Close links between universities & cities• And much more…
Advice:
• don’t copy other cities• be unique• Identify a genuine need• aim for quality• have a masterplan• masterplans give confidence to investors• enshrine open access to the water