The NWE regions contain various
peri-urban areas. These areas play a vital role as interfaces between city and coutryside. They have a crucial position in bringing the two together and in providing the city with the 'breething space' it needs.. In this sense peri-urban regions can be characterised by their duality: on the one hand possessing high dynamics, inherent to the city dynamics and on the other hand possessing valuabale qualities, inherent to the countryside - open space, attractive landscapes, bio-diversity and vital rural communities. In the densely populated NWE regions these qualities are under substantial city pressure and need active involvement of the cities themselves in order to preserve the valuable urban - peri-urban balance.

No city without vital coutryside,
No vital countryside without city!

The Green Delta
‘s-Hertogenbosch City Council

Nature, water, landscape, cultural heritage, recreation and agriculture, you can find that all in this area. Different bodies will jointly work together in carrying out projects within these themes. Walking paths have been laid out, ecological connecting zones have been established. The Green Delta will push up the ambitions on a higher economic dynamics. Today the city faces the boundaries of its governance structures which very often do not fit the physical boundaries of the areas where that governance, together with financing and developing take place. City and adjacent communities will have to work together in jointly protecting open green areas, for the benefit of the whole region. In the next three to five years major steps will have to be taken to realise a robust Ecological Structure (EHS) in combination with retention areas for rainwater storage. This is an ambition which has to fit within the bigger ambition for an economic strong and competitive region.

The Hague Region (City Region of Haaglanden)

• Haaglanden will bring in concrete projects, supporting the general philosophy of CityBreath (stronger and more competitive regions through involvement of the cities by the peri-urban areas development) and testing out the governance concepts.
• In Work Package 1 (Pillar) 1 Haaglanden will bring concrete projects where building op network-based governance will be embedded (building or adjusting the network, defining the physical boundaries and defining the financial instruments for developing the chosen area) sand others projects – testing out that network-based governance.
• In Pillar 2 (WP2) Haaglanden will bring in and work out the Green Rings concept. Also projects containing the planning measures will be included here.
• In Pillar 3 (WP3) Haaglanden will bring in projects around the Green Gates, the Business Improvement Districts and other concepts, ttailor-made for the special groups from the cities which will be targeted (the big international companies and organisations).
• Haaglanden will intensively involve in this project the business world – micro companies (the farmers), SME’s, and some big companies as TCN International, which are working through the same philosophy – the role of the private initiatives and the entrepreneurs in organising city and countryside, governing and developing the regions.

Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale (PNR CMO)+ Espaces Naturels Régionaux

The aim of PNR CMO ‘s project and activities is to enhance and guarantee the long term preservation of the landscapes and heritage, through the development and support to a sustainable agriculture system and strengthening the links between the inhabitants (with a special focus on young people) and their environment and heritage. Caps et Marais d’Opale is a rural area of quality with a very diversified landscape, surrounded by 3 urban centres of importance : Calais, Boulogne sur Mer and Saint Omer. Therefore, the territory experiences a growing peri-urban pressure (cf maps of the land use and evolution tendency).

This rural area and its local stakeholders have identified a local project which is materialised by the Parc Naturel Régional setting up – a national labelling - in 2000. The PNR’s project can be summed up in few words: it is the expression of a shared wish to support, promote and experiment a local development based on the preservation and enhancement of its heritage and local features, and more specifically on the Landscapes that are resulting of.

Syndicat Mixte du Parc naturel régional de l’Avesnois

1.To enhance the communication towards consumers and general public through our presence on regional events, in order to spread the core message “Taste your landscape’”
2. main objectives :
- to reconnect urban and rural areas, people and activities
- to promote produce made from the landscape and through them to promote also the landscape and farmers or entrepreneurs working at its preservation

South East England – City Breath

The South East England contribution to CityBreath brings together Natural England, Greening the Gateway in Kent & Medway, the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), South Downs AONB and High Weald AONB.

The South East Region of the UK is seeing un-paralleled growth with the Thames Gateway Growth Area, a number of Growth Points, and a general increase in housing numbers across the entire region. This has now been projected to a recommended 32,000 homes a year until 2026.

The South East is an environmentally attractive region.

• 6,500 square kilometres of the region are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); a third of the total area of such designations for England. Two of these, the New Forest and the South Downs, have been proposed for National Park Status.
• Some 40% of the region's area is the subject of some form of protective designation, such as AONB, Green Belt or Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Key issues are being faced in the South East that if tackled correctly can result in wins for the economy, society and the environment. The issues of governance, valuing the economic benefits of a high quality natural environment and establishing the important contribution that high quality urban and rural environments can make to society. This challenge against a backdrop of rapid urban growth is a test for the SE and a virtual Petri-Dish to be examined under the CityBreath microscope.

In Work Pillar 1 – Natural England and Greening the Gateway in Kent & Medway will lead work on network based governance and Planning Policy. The South Downs will lead work on Regional Account/funding mechanisms along with the High Weald.

In Work Pillar 2 - Natural England and Greening the Gateway in Kent & Medway will develop a study of three key industrial estates and explore the benefits a high quality environment delivers; South Downs and High Weald will develop branding and marketing to illustrate the economic benefits and environmental awareness/education that flows from that activity.

In Work Pillar 3 – We will link with the Universities in Medway, using academics to facilitate a peer review of progress of the South East CityBreath and link with our partners in NW Europe to share lessons and best practise.

„Bats and Orchards“
Frankfurt surroundings

The typical cultural landscape with several hundreds of hectares standard tree orchards around Frankfurt is unique in its richness in wild species and diversity in cultivated species and spatial extension. It is an important habitat of Natura 2000 bat- species and contains Natura 2000 areas. A typical apple wine-culture with matching cuisine has been developed on the basis of the products out of the orchards. The orchard belt is “man-made” and conservation has to use old skills of orchards maintenance. These typical surroundings of the Metropolis have been believed to be one of the important so called “soft location factors” which contribute to make Frankfurt a city worth living in.

The project develops a complex innovative coherence between land use management and precisely aimed communication with bat as flagship species, it activates the efforts for maintaining the biodiversity in cultivated landscapes.

Reconnecting through Routeways The project will create a planning instrument that will help maintain and develop the physical and natural infrastructure that links urban and per-urban areas. The project seeks to develop a better understanding of the historic and current usage of historic routeways - roads, bridleways and footpaths around the High Weald's urban areas. It will use this understanding to enable development and management that retains historic features, enhances habitat connectivity and increases the routeways value/usage to a range of users.

Limerick
Ireland

This project in Limerick contributes to the WP objectives by opening up undeveloped lands in natural condition (Some of it designated SAC) on the edge of the City Centre making it accessible to the public for recreational and special interest purposes. Access will be provided by providing walking and cycling pathways. About 2.5 miles of the proposed walkways will take visitors along the banks of the Shannon River and then loop back and return to the city centre through parkland. To deliver this project it will be necessary to bring together a number of Government Departments including The Office of Public Works, Failte Ireland and The Environment Protection Agency. These departments must work together in cooperation to deliver the project. The completed project should contribute to tourism in Limerick by offering visitors to the city an excellent attraction as well as providing it for locals. The new access will also assist with the maintenance and monitoring of this area.

West Midlands Driving Rural Urban Innovation and Development (DRUID)

• Maximising potential of Peri-Urban areas
• Innovation in all aspects (rural and urban)
• Integration of both domains for maximum sustainable prosperity

• The West midlands in a mixed urban rural region with a population of 5.3 million people and with the potential to be better integrated especially in respect of the Peri-Urban position and role
• CUE is a fully owned subsidiary of Coventry University. It's principle role is to generate commercial activity across the region through the establishment of commercial projects, consultancy and education.

Priority 1 or 2 - Innovation/Environmental. This project is about innovative activity and development with a fundamental environmental foundation. In this respect it supports full the Interreg principles of exchanging knowledge on a wide scale across several themes. EU funding is justified as this is a priorty region in the UK and Europe. It has a great deal of knowledge to share and exchange and will benefit from a European partnership - particularly from other similar regions in Europe.

Espaces Naturels Régionaux

Espaces Naturels Régionaux (ENRx) is the regional federation of the 3 natural regional parks of the Nord-Pas de Calais. Actions realised on these territories must be in conformance with the charter of each park and in coherence with Regional policies. Some part of the staff ( engineers especially) is employed by ENRx . So ENRx is a partner. And so the description of ENRx’ contribution is both the PNRCMO’s one and the PNR Avesnois ‘s. Espaces will provide match funding and staff inputs to the project. Espace can offer its experience in trans national cooperation.

Regional Nature Park of Avesnois

As a French regional nature Park, a mostly rural area, it is crucial for the Avesnois regional nature Park to improve its alliances with cities bordering our area (Maubeuge, Valenciennes, …) in a win-win relationship, keeping in mind the objectives of the Charter of the Park, the contract which consolidates the project of protection and development drawn up for the region.We are also trying to get new important economic projects (such as a holiday park for example) to cooperate with local entrepreneurs and to use local resources.A third issue is to international companies established in the region involved in a new form of “green governance”