Consolidation of Polycentric Urban Systems through the Promotion of the Settlement of Retail Trade Businesses in Inner Urban Areas
The development of new retail locations in green fields far away from urban centres promotes rapid urban sprawl and leads to traffic congestion and environmental problems and contradicts sustainable regional development. The settlement of retail enterprises in city centres can lead to a healthier development structure. The project VITAL CITIES aimed to strengthen polycentric urban systems and to contribute to regional development in CADSES. The VITAL CITIES project focused on promoting settlement of retail trade in city centres. A transnational project team with 22 partners from 7 countries was assembled for VITAL CITIES under the Lead Partnership of the InvestitionsBank des Landes Brandenburg, in which the main stakeholders were represented and jointly worked on solutions applicable at local level. The implementation of the project was supported by the law firm Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz. To establish cooperation structures, to strengthen the control potential of local government authorities and to improve the basis for investment decision-making for inner urban areas, VITAL CITIES gathered a project team, who implemented the following activities: - Carrying out of analyses, studies and surveys at local level, - Carrying out of „Retail Trade Forums“ at local level with high potential speakers, where local conditions were analysed and solutions identified by a transnational team, - Pooling and exchange of experiences illustrated by concrete case studies reflecting different approaches and aspects – e.g. retail trade in cross border regions.