Reinventing the fringe
‘Sub>urban. Reinventing the fringe’ is about countering urban sprawl by transforming the complex periphery of cities into a more attractive and high-quality area for existing and future communities. Through a flexible process and an implementation-oriented approach, we seek to reinvent urban planning.The sub>urban theme unites cities and regions that want to achieve an enhanced quality of life by carefully increasing the densities of 20th-century post-war urban areas at the periphery of the historic centres instead of expanding the urban territory. The aim of the network is to develop useful strategies by uncovering new processes, instruments and partnerships. In addition to thinking strategically on  a city and  regional scale, this project is about the implementation of local action plans in pilot sites.The network has identified five subthemes: (1) transforming for intensified use, (2) transforming for social inclusion, (3) transforming the relationship with the region, (4) transforming private space and (5) transforming planning. The main objective is to intensify the use of poorly used space, increase the quality and availability of houses and amenities, find effective and transparent ways to deal with private and fragmented ownership, improve the connectivity and the identity of the urban fringe. Since these fringe areas and their restrictions are very different from the inner city, an entirely new approach toward urban planning as a whole will be required.