About SURF
The Sustainable Urban Fringes (SURF) project brought together partners and experts from across the North Sea Region to exchange information and develop a common approach towards the sustainability of urban fringe areas.
The project has recognised the value these areas between urban and rural landscape can bring to local communities, creating places where people want to live, work and do business. This can be through strengthening local economies; delivering social benefits and by creating a space for nature.
Key initiatives examined by the project have included a review of urban fringe policies and the development of a set of Policy guidelines to tackle issues of governance and spatial planning.
To informing the research, Project Partners developed their own urban fringe initiatives to establish best practice and share their experiences.
Urban fringe challenges
The project aims to address the challenges facing our urban fringes including -
- spatial planning and sustainable development
- complex issues of ownership and administration
- fragmented spaces
- declining biodiversity
- deteriorating water quality
- low green space value
- poor access and lack of engagement with local communities
- changing demographics and their impact on the urban fringe
- inconsistent planning policy
About the Project- Partners
- Policy
- Project Themes
- Work Package 1
- Work Package 2
- Work package 3
- Work package 4
Key themes for the project
The project examined 4 SURF Themes for urban fringes -
Economy, competitiveness, enterprise
- Examining diverse business opportunities for the urban fringe, and how it can contribute to the competitiveness and sustainability of an area.
- Reducing the effects of climate change.
Governance
- Addressing the governance of urban fringes which is often fragmented, difficult to identify and lacking transparency.
Role and value of green spaces
- Looking at the benefits quality urban fringe green spaces bring to adjacent communities.
- Examining the pressures from urban development.
Spatial Planning and stakeholders
- Addressing planning responsibilities for urban fringes which are frequently divided, uncoordinated and unclear.
