How Interreg builds smart and attractive cities

Cities and towns are engines for the development

Cities and towns are engines for the development of the whole Baltic Sea region. Interreg projects helped them define their strengths and respond to emerging challenges. In the early 2000s, over 50 cities and towns learned together how to develop their services for the benefit of residents. Some focused on planning and developing their urban space and reconstructing residential quarters and industrial areas, while others created investment and marketing strategies by making use of the expertise of capital cities.

In 2005, we started to reach out to Tampere’s peer regions along Via Baltica Nordica Development Zone and with a related cooperation proposal. It was our first own Interreg Baltic Sea Region project. It was about building a network and learning from peers. These were our first steps in smart specialisation when we tried to understand what our strengths and assets as a northern European region. And we have been continuing ever since.”

New focus over the years

Between 2009 and 2014, projects brought cities closer to each other and promoted them jointly as one unique destination for tourism and for investments outside the Baltic Sea region. They also helped bigger cities and smaller towns transform their development and urban design strategies that considered the opinions of residents.

Nowadays, youth empowerment and participation are well-established in Norway. Since 2020 it is regulated by law to establish youth councils and to involve young people in the region and municipalities’ debates and planning process. The Interreg projects played an important role in the process.”

Responding to new challenges

In 2016-2021, projects helped cities and towns deal with emerging societal and demographic changes and climate change challenges. Urban managers together with community activists, artists, and researchers engaged residents in urban social innovation to jointly develop visions for city spaces and design them as common community projects. Cities also developed urban mobility plans, established new mobility points, and introduced living street initiatives. They integrated autonomous public transport and e-mobility solutions, such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-buses, to increase the liveability of cities for residents.

Want to know more about the projects that have been helping cities and towns become more attractive? Flip through the project examples below:

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