Shrinking cities and urban regeneration in Switzerland

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C10.0137

Key words (English)

shrinking cities; urban policy and planning; urban regeneration strategies; urban revitalisation; urban regeneration; urban design

Research programs (English)

COST-Action TU0803 - Cities Regrowing Smaller - Fostering Knowledge on Regeneration Strategies in Shrinking Cities across Europe

Short description (English)

One of the most challenging tasks for European urban areas in the near future is to deal with the consequences of demo-graphic, economic and physical contraction processes and to plan for the future of considerably smaller but nevertheless liveable cities. Against this background the project aims at fostering knowledge on the shrinking cities and regeneration strategies in Switzerland. By promoting the exchange of scientific knowledge and the stimulation of new ideas in selected reference regions and cities the project will contribute to new solutions to deal with demographic changes and to design the restructuring of shrinking cities in Switzerland and Europe. Significant benefits at the European level are envisaged, resulting in a common framework of terminology, a typology of shrinking cities and urban regeneration strategies, and testing it. It will also produce a best practice database which can be used for other research projects.

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL Forschungseinheit Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften Gruppe Regionalökonomie und -entwicklung

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AT, BE, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HU, IE, IT, MK, NL, PL, PT, RS, SI, SK, TR, UK

Abstract (English)

One of the most challenging tasks for European urban areas in the near future is to deal with the consequences of demographic, economic and physical transformation processes and to plan for the future of transformed but nevertheless liveable cities. Against this background the project fosters knowledge on urban regeneration strategies in Switzerland. By promoting the exchange of scientific knowledge and the stimulation of new ideas in selected reference regions and cities the project contributes to new solutions to deal with socioeconomic and demographic changes and to design the restructuring and regeneration of transforming cities in Switzerland and Europe. Significant benefits at the European level are resulting from a common framework of terminology, a typology of urban regeneration strategies, and applying it to Switzerland. A best practice database can be used for other research projects.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C10.0137