About SURF
The Sustainable Urban Fringes (SURF) project brings 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.
Urban fringes are the areas between urban and rural landscape. These spaces are often neglected and under threat from growth and expansion and inconsistent spatial planning policy.
The project recognises the value urban fringes 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.
The project started in September 2009, and is set to run for three years. Key initiatives include, a review of urban fringe policies and the development of a set of policy guidelines to tackle issues of governance and spatial planning.
Project partners are developing their own urban fringe initiatives to establish best practice and share their experiences with project partners and the wider community.
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
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 will examine 4 SURF Themes for urban fringes -
1. 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.
2. Governance
- Addressing the governance of urban fringes which is often fragmented, difficult to identify and lacking transparency.
3. 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.
4. Spatial Planning and stakeholders
- Addressing planning responsibilities for urban fringes which are frequently divided, uncoordinated and unclear.
