Urban - rural co-operation in Westpomeranian Region.Reality, goals and expectations.

Urban sprawl and lack of propper spatial planning in rural areas surroundingbig city. Land ownership structure

Urban sprawl and lack of propperspatial planning in rural areassurrounding big city.

Szczecin’s administrative border

West Pomeranian RegionIn European space

I Odra River ZoneAn area in western part of the region whichborders with Germany and is influenced bystructural elements of Central EuropeanTransport Corridor (CETC) such as: OdraRiver and Bay of Szczecin, C-E 59 railway,S-3 highway, Szczecin-Goleniów Airport,Szczecin and Świnoujście Harbours.Szczecin Metropolitan Area together withŚwinoujście constitute main developmentcentre in this zone.

II Seaside ZoneAn area with the highest intensification oftourism. Comprises areas located alongthe coast, seaside places with theirhinterlands and impact zone of main cities.Hinterlands of coastal belt demand specialsupport so that terrains distant from thesea can benefit from tourism concentrationin the seacoast area. Another factor whichinduces development in the region isplanned S-6 highway. It is not only a part ofVia Hanseatica Transport Corridor but italso links two main areas of growth inWestpomeranian Region:Szczecin Metropolitan Area and Koszalin-Kołobrzeg Area.

III Central Zone – an area comprising sixcities in the central part of the region:Drawsko Pomorskie, Złocieniec, Czaplinek,Połczyn Zdrój, Świdwin and Łobez togetherwith their direct impact zones. The zonehas the lowest access to the main citiesand their labour market, services and otherdevelopment agents. In result significantunemployment and emigration rates areobserved. The above mentioned cities withtheir surrounding communities have jointlya meaningful social and economicalpotential, which can be compared toKoszalin. Services provided in these citiesare complementary. The priority for thespatial development there is creating acomplementary system through integrationof the cities, cooperation, improving mutualaccessibility, improving access to the mainareas of development in the region.

IV Choszczno-Wałcz Zone – includessouth-eastern part of the region with Wałcz– main city with regional rank. This areahas a big potential of tourism. One of mainpriorities is improvement of spatialcoherence in the region through: improvingconnections between Wałcz and Szczecin(and southern part of Poland), constructingS-10 highway and railway connectionSzczecin-Wałcz. In result accessibility fortourists will enhance.

V Szczecinek Zone – an area located ineastern part of Westpomeranian regionincluding Szczecinek – main city ofregional rank. Zone of accelerated growthalong planned S-11 route (Kołobrzeg-Koszalin-Poznań-Śląsk). Priorities includeimprovement of spatial coherence in theregion through increase in connectionsfrom Szczecinek to Szczecin and Koszalin.This conjuncture will be achieved throughconstructing S-11 highway andmodernization of national way no. 20.

Basic facts about Szczecin Metropolitan Area

� Szczecin Functional Area consists of: high quality arable land (6,2%), forest grounds (38%), surface waters (11,25%), areas of nature preservation (49%)

� SFA: total population density is 310,1 persons per sq.km (cities: 1294,6 persons per sq.km, rural areas: 37,1 persons per sq.km). Rural areas in the region are very sparsely populated

� GDP in the Voivodeship : 28 400 Pln per capita (ca. 6761 EUR)

Natural environmentCross‐border Metropolitan Region of Szczecin (Polish part)  comprises area  786 400 ha. Land use  structure consists of the following: � 9,8%    ‐ high quality arable land,� 29,8%  ‐ forest grounds,� 44,9%  ‐ areas of nature preservation,� inland waters and internal sea waters,

Settlement network of Szczecin Cross-border Metropolitan Region (Polishpart)There are 23 towns jointly occupied by 680 260 inhabitants in the Cross‐border Region. 76,6% of the population live in the urban centres (indicator for urbanisation), while for Poland the indicator equals 68,9%. 46% of the Region’s inhabitants are citizens of Szczecin, which is the most  important city in the network, while Stargard Szczeciński and Świnoujście have regional importance

Comparison of population density in selected cities

Source: RBGPWZ on the basis of GUS data

Urma as a tool for solving selected problems in the Region through co-operation with URMA partners and experts

Exemplary areas of our interest and topics to be tackled in the course of URMA project:

• Mitigation of negative effects of urban sprawl - is creation of ‘Micro-cities’ a good solution?

• Creation of theoretical and transferable model of micro-city

• Opportunities deriving from water public transport – for better integration of urban and rural areas in the Region

• Local Fishing Groups – further steps

• Formulating typology of rural areas and types of co-operation deriving from it

INTERREG IVC URMA PARTNERS:

(1) HafenCity University(2) Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg(3) Westpomeranian Voivodeship(4) Tuscany Region(5) Lombardia Region(7) Institute of Urban Development Krakow(8)Municipality of Borne(9)Pleven Regional AdministrationExternal participants(10) City of Aarhus(11) City of Amsterdam

Selected results of URMA Project

• Concise dictionary incl. definitions and relevant terms

• Study visits to Szczecin, Hamburg, Twente and Lombardia Region to share experiences face-to-face

• Organisation of public seminars

• „Good Practice Guide“ incl. analysis of success factors of the different approaches and experiences

• Scientifically monitored pilot implementations in Twente, Lombardia and Hamburg Region

• Declaration addressed to politicians and decision-makers with regard to urban-rural partnerships

We are going to identify different types of regional innovation systems, exchange experiences and improve regional and local policies in the field of innovation, spatial planning and multi-level governance. In some of the Partner Regions/Countries relevant legal frames and regulations are missing. Therefore URMA might also contribute to creating recommendations targeting various levels of governance so that urban-rural cooperation demands are widely recognized, respected and supported. We need to raise the awareness of the meaning of urban-rural co-operation and partnership.

Other objectives comprise inter alia global visibility, strengthening: knowledge –business – public sector triangle, influencing EU policies and decisions with regard to next funding period etc

Most common difficulties and chalenges within urban-rural relations identified by Partner Regions

• Urban sprawl, • Insufficient legal regulations • lack of criteria for identification of rurban – rural areas on the planning level• Difficulties with achieving balance between urban and rural factor in the cooperation/partnership• Insufficient standards of dwellings and lack of propper planning conrol in the suburbs• changes in traditional land use pattern• Lack of institutional management for metropolitan areas• Need for closer cooperation of administrative bodies

Pilot implementation in the course of URMA project (component 4)

PP5 LombardiaAnalysis of Urban – Rural relations in the area. How the metropolitan area would be concerned by the event of EXPO 2015. How would the rural component be involved in the Exposition, with which benefits or negative impacts

PP 1,2 HafenCity University / Free Hanseatic City of HamburgScenarios on spatial development for an “urban-rural-urban “ partnership between Hamburg Metropolitan Region Northern Germany and Denmark.

PP8 Municipality of BornePilot regional food chain as means for urban – rural innovation and cooperation (concept, location, green education)

Thank you for your kind attention

Regional Office for Spatial Planning of Westpomeranian Region

Pl. Kilińskiego 3, 71-414 Szczecintel. (091) 43-249-60; fax (091) 43-249-62

www.rbgp.pl