Alpcity

Local endogenous development
and urban regeneration of small alpine towns

Summary:



WP7 Franche-Comté Region

Enhancing the image of and promoting cultural historical sites for the reinforcement of the regional attractiveness


Case-project abstract

A network of 28 municipalities created a association some years ago to promote their cultural and historical assets. The region decided to help them in:

  • Engineering and technical assistance
  • Networking
  • Enhancing the image of their listed buildings
  • Helping at follow-up of activities and work
Reasons for the choice of this case-project

Promotion of the specificities and characteristics of the "Cités Comtoises de Caractère", which fall within a broader framework of enhancement of their urban, landscape and architectural inheritage.

Adopted methodology
  • Technical and administrative assistance before projects of municipalities begin
  • Financial support of general process, which favour preliminary studies before the project definition and carrying out
  • Favourising exchange and networking of experiences
Expected benefits (local and regional levels)
  • Preserving architectural and urban elements
  • Dynamising the member cities by supporting their tourist discovery, the achievement of urban courses of character (courses which enable the discovery of the architectural, urban and lanscpae inheritage)

Are follow-up activities foreseen ?
  • Intermediary report
  • Annual report
  • Meetings every quarter

Expected value added (other than financial) from the participation to an INTERREG project
  • Network effect
  • Enhancement of experiences as fas as urban arrangement is concerned, in order to transfer good practices to future projects
  • Promotion of a specific programme beyond the Region Franche-Comté

Expected transnational exchange benefit gained from the case

(Cases should not tackle exclusively local problems. Where in the whole Alpine Space Programme area can si milar problems be found? And where can good practice be found?)

Enhancement of experiences as far as urban arrangement is concerned, in order to transfer good practices to future projects


Output indicators
  • Bringing assistance to 4 cities per year: putting together administrative and financial documents...
  • 2 local technical meetings with each city to exchange, discuss and develop the project
  • 1 report p.a. about the outcomes of the project

Impact indicators
  • number of projects carried out
  • Involvement of actors, consultation, information, exchange
  • quality of the arrangements: protection of historical and cultural assets, enhancement of the image of public areas

Name of the town/s concerned

See map

28 municipalities: Champlitte, Marnay, Gy, Villersexel, Pesmes, Fondremand, St Hippolyte, Jougne, Ornans, Lods, Baume-les-Dames, Vuillafans, Arbois, Baume-les-Messieurs, Nozeroy, Poligny, St Amour, Salins-les-Bains...


Demographic, social and economic situation of the town/s concerned and specifically identified problems

They are located on an ancient road axis (but now are off the main current roads).

They are above all small villages (9 villages have less than 500 inhabitants). The biggest town counts around 5,250 inhabitants.

Thanks to their environment they have developed a "green" tourism, but also a cultural activity.


Role of the mountain resource within the local development chances of the town/s concerned (positive or negative)

16 towns out of 28 are located in the Jura Mountains

They are well-known given their natural and architectural inheritage. The beauty of the natural sites contributes to the local development of the towns concerned. 2 of them are well-known vineyards (Arbois, Chateau-Chalon)


Expected contribution of the foreseen actions towards the development of the town/s concerned

By helping these villages and small towns in their endegenous development, this may lead to improving the tourist activity and maintaining population in the areas concerned.

This can attract tourists beyond the major road axis and lead them to small villages, etc.


Who is the responsible for the concrete development of the project?

Association des Petites Cités Comtoises de Caractère

28 cities members of the association


How are activities sub-contracted? ? (if it is the case)

Partnership agreement between the Region and the association . This agreement is rewied every year according to a annual work plan.


Beside the partner, which administrative authorities are involved in the project? How?

The 28 cities


Who are the main local/regional project actors?
  • 28 cities
  • the association
  • the Region

The case is isolated or integrated within a broader frame/ programme of activities?

Case integrated into the global programme "urban schemes of character"

Also into the regional framework of "pole of services" and " local pole"


How? How are these activities being financed?

The association of the 28 cities: 18,400 €

Europe (Interreg IIIB): 46,000 €

The Region: 27,600 €


Timetable for the project development (July 2004 - May 2006)

May (2004)-May 2006


Total cost for the case (Euros)

92,000 €


Are experts (non SSC) involved into the case and research activities undertaken for the case? What is their role?

A person, who studied urbanism, specifically in charge of the cities






e-mail: alpcity@regione.piemonte.it