Rehabilitation and Development in Mining Regions
Large-scale environmental problems and difficulties in urban development are a barrier to structural change throughout the mining regions of CADSES. In many cases a monostructured economy, the prevalence of paternalistic structures, a negative image and the persistence of environmental damage with remaining risk elements require an integrated approach to rehabilitate and develop mining regions. The structural change in mining regions is a difficult task and many small or mid-sized cities, particularly in peripheral regions, are not able to cope with it alone. READY aims at strengthening the competitive ability of mining cities and mining regions in Central and Eastern Europe by improving their ecological, social and economic situation. The project addresses major planning and development issues with special consideration of the situation in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. In the 18 mining cities and regions participating in the project, the mining industry is in decline or mining and manufacturing of mining products have already been ceased. The main objectives of the project are to provide incentives for structural changes in former mining cities and regions by accomplishing new development perspectives and the initiation of a new quality of transnational co-operation by establishing a high-performance network. Co-ordinated actions should increase political awareness of disadvantaged mining cities and regions. READY includes four types of activities: local activities in the participating cities, intensive international networking, the founding of a European network of mining cities and support for local implementation of strategies and measures.