The Future of Regions and Cities of Traditional Industry in Europe: Some Thoughts Drawn from the Second RETI Conference,Leeds,United Kingdom,September 1985

Abstract

The European Community today is concerned by the decline of old urban regions. The problems of the traditional industrial cities and regions are social, economic, as well as environmental. Since its establishment, the European Economic Community has essentially undertaken sectoral policies whose effects on the regions are showing themselves to be increasingly dramatic. The last few years have seen the regions mobilize for institutional as well as social and economic reasons; the creation of the association of traditional industrial regions of Europe translates the importance of the new challenges facing its member regions. The present article, after a brief analysis of the principal problems, will suggest certain perspectives for new policies in face of these challenges.

References

1. Commission of the European Communities , The Regions of Europe—Second Periodic Report on the Social and Economic Situation of the Regions of the Community, COM (84) 40 final/2 (Brussels: Commission of the European Communities, 1984), p. 1.3.

2. The Commission of the European Communities only added the objective of aiding the traditional industrial regions in 1985. During the first ten years of its existence, the European Regional Development Fund was aimed at fostering development in the rural and peripheral regions.

3. Lille Resolution , in Acts of the First Meeting of the Traditional Industrial Regions Lille 1984, in French, by Régions européennes de tradition industrielle (Lille: Régions européennes de tradition industrielle, 1984).

4. John B. Goddard and Andrew E. Gillespie , “Traditional Industrial Regions and the European Communities” in New Economic Strategies for the Traditional Industrial Regions. Second Meeting Leeds 1985, by Régions européennes de tradition industrielle (Lille: Régiones européennes de tradition industrielle, forthcoming).

5. Umberto Battist , “General Report,” in “Urban Regeneration in European Regions of Old Industry. Lille Conference 1983,” by Council of Europe, Urban Renaissance in Europe Study Series, no. 23 (Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1985), pp. 38-40.

6. “Le rapport FAST en bref,” in Le programme FAST. Résultats et recommandations, by Commission of the European Communities (Brussels: Commission of the European Communities, 1982), 1:x-xiii.