The major part of development in the coming years is expected to take place in the cities, specially in the larger, traffically well situated cities. The quality of the cities are important if citizens are to be attracted and maintained. Urban qualities, service level and infrastructure also play a crucial role when companies choose where to locate. Cities have to group together in networks and urban patterns where the roles are divided along the development conditions for North West Zealand and the strenghts and qualities for each city, rather than all cities focus on the same qualities and the same target groups.

The project starts from the development a division of roles between the cities of North West Zealand and their surrounding areas with an emphasis put on local competences. The focus is on a strategic development of roles at the vison and program stage i.e. the creation of strategic policies and initiatives based on what these roles signify for each city. Given this, the need for securing urban qualities is evaluated. It is a municipal project with contributions from Holbæk, Kalundborg and Nykøbing Zealand and their surrounding areas. The County of West Zealand and the Ministry of the Environment are also part of the project together with The Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs.

Urban quality is the overall impression af a city's location and accessibility, its streets, squares and roads, its buildings and settlements, its design of center, housing and business areas, its traffic conditions and green spaces, its level of service, institutions, shops etc. Urban quality tells something about the conditions to play a role in the interplay with other cities and also about the potentials as settlement for different populations.

As a result of the project network an analysis of urban qualities in Nort West Zealand has been made (BYKATALOG). Also a common vison and 4 strategic development themes have been made. New Holbæk Municipality has supplemented the original catalogue so that all 18 cities in the new coming municipality are described.

Municipality of Holbaek
Denmark
Jens Hedegaar, tel. 0045 59 45 20 45

03/09/2003

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment > Urban renewal

Urban restructuring