Transforming industrial neighbourhoods into sustainable neighbourhoods

Press release 11 June 2012

The term ‘sustainable neighbourhood’ may evoke images of new neighbourhoods brimming with technological innovations. Does this mean old neighbourhoods can’t be sustainable? In several Euregional districts, the Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods Project (SUN) has demonstrated that old industrial neighbourhoods can be transformed into high-quality living environments. The project’s final symposium will be held on Thursday 14 June. The central theme will focus on innovative working methods that enhance sustainable urban management.

The SUN Project is a joint initiative by municipalities, universities and non-profit organisations. In 2008 they took on a big challenge: transforming theories of sustainable development into practical applications in existing (industrial) neighbourhoods in Liege, Heerlen, Genk, Eupen, Aachen, Eschweiler and Verviers. The International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development (ICIS) at Maastricht University supervised various local projects and evaluated their results from the perspective of learning and sustainable development. 

The symposium will focus on local projects involving economics, public parks and gardens, energy and social cohesion in urban neighbourhoods. The participation of residents, local organisations and individuals will play an important role herein given that the involvement of all parties is essential to the success of any sustainable development project. The symposium will also discuss how neighbourhood activities are coordinated, taking into account the number of participants the city has on the governmental, organisational and individual level.

The project partners will debate these issues with policymakers from various partner cities to determine how the SUN Project methods can be introduced into existing policies. 

For more information and registration please visit sun-euregio.eu.


Note for the press:
For more information on the content of this press release, please contact Carijn Beumer on +31 43 388 3943 or email carijn.beumer@maastrichtuniversity.nl
The UM Marketing & Communications Department can be contacted on +31 43 388 5222 or at pers@maastrichtuniversity.nl. For urgent matters outside office hours, please call +31 6 4602 4992. Please refer to the Web Magazine for interesting research being carried out at UM.

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