ASSET (Action to Strengthen Small European Towns)
Project Description
IMPLEMENTATION
Scope and Definitions
10. We propose that, for this purpose, ‘Europe’ should be the whole of the European Continent, effectively those nations that are members of the Council of Europe.
11. By ‘small towns’, we start from considering those with a population between 2,500 and roughly 30,000, though this definition should be flexibly interpreted. In Austria the official definition of a small town has a 50,000 population limit. In remote areas there are populations of a few hundred that call themselves a small town. In sought-after tourist locations the resident population can be matched or exceeded by visitors, seasonally.
12. ‘Agencies who offer support to small towns’ (hereafter called “support agencies”) may include arms of central or regional governments, regional development agencies, formal networks of small towns, and other public or non-governmental organisations.
Outcomes and Deliverables
13. Provisionally, we envisage that the project will embrace:
- Reporting on the progress of an ASSET questionnaire that has elicited information from several states within and outside the EU, and preliminary analysis of the results covering the sub-national/regional support to small towns and the range of challenges faced. Partners of ASSET, members of ECOVAST and respondents will be invited to comment on the topics with the aim reaching consensus and a matrix of common understanding.
- Gathering, and dissemination to the support agencies, of information about the support agencies themselves, their programmes of support to small towns, how these programmes are funded or managed, and what effect they appear to have in terms of the vitality of small towns.
- Gathering, and dissemination to support agencies and to small towns and their networks, of information about good practice in development or revitalisation of small towns and in support systems, illustrated by case studies, including methods of capacity building and toolkits (including the SusSET INTERREG III Toolkit, and others such as the Market Towns Health Check – UK – and the City Check – Austria).
- Focusing on specific projects with small towns – through interest groups working on topics such as walled towns, wine towns, market towns, historic charters, landed estates, industrial heritage, trade and renewable energy. Small towns and their surrounding landscapes are ideal for considering the future of renewable energy, demonstrating their capabilities in economic terms as sustainable settlements.
- Involvement in research activities, beginning with literature review.
- Exchanges between groups of small towns in different member states are envisaged together with peer assessment and mentoring. ASSET may also enable facilitation for training in capacity building of Municipalities, Local Authorities and Communities. This might be undertaken in co-operation with PREPARE, or other bodies, if funding becomes available.
- Facilitation of on-line exchange between all involved in the field of small town development
- Holding of events to permit face-to-face exchange between those involved in small town development
- Where necessary and appropriate, speaking on behalf of small towns to influence urban and rural policies of the European Union and governments, and play a strong role in developing a formal policy for European small rural towns and their hinterlands.
These activities are expected to benefit small towns, local government, support agencies, governments, the European Union and the Council of Europe.
