Sustainable urban and rural development

From farmers to city dwellers, everyone deserves a good life!

OUR GOAL: Create a region of sustainable cities and towns in symbiosis with vibrant rural areas.

The majority of the people in the Baltic Sea Region live in small and medium sized cities or rural areas, but there is a strong urbanization trend. This makes sustainability an important challenge for us.

We look at urban–rural interaction from a quality of life perspective. By integrating not only aspects of wealth and employment, but also environment and social belonging we can raise the overall living standard for both city-dwellers and inhabitants of the countryside, at the same time as enhancing sustainable development.

We work on improved urban-rural linkages in pilot initiatives that give us the tools to meet the challenges of increased urbanization and improve the quality of life. We work for sustainable resource management, developing better practices in agriculture and forest management. Strategies for truly sustainable tourism will foster smarter use of natural, cultural heritage and landscapes, allowing for profitable business and preserving our treasures for the future generations.

OUR ACTIONS:

• Promoting better management of urban-rural interactions;
• Facilitating sustainable agriculture and forestry;
• Developing sustainable tourism