Summarized description of the project
On 2nd of June 2005 the Steering Committee has approved the project „Sustainable Reintegration of post-soviet military residential areas as a challenge and opportunity for regional development”- ReMiDo, and the project will be co-financed by the BSR INTERREG III B Programme with a maximum of EUR 1 477 738,50.
In project involved 17 partners from 6 countries: Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. State Agency “HOUSING AGENCY” is a Lead Partner.
Post-soviet military residential areas and its neighborhood are in a specific situation – on one hand they are as disabled areas more or less unique (compared with whole territories) in there respective countries – on the other hand we have a substantial amount at these areas counted over all former Warsaw Pact members. Transnational co-operation is a chance to overcome the current situation in an effective way and to transfer know-how.
Post military areas formerly used by the Soviet Army cause special problems to municipalities and regions in the southern and eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region. These areas were totally autarkic, so they were not subject of civil use and regional planning in the second part of 20th century. After having been left by the Soviet Army they were “out-law”-territories and in many cases they are still in this situation.
Lot of post military residential areas are abandoned or people live in destroyed houses.
At the moment municipalities and regions containing post military residential areas are hindered in their development by bad socio-economic impact of these vandalized areas. It is impossible to develop municipalities without dissolving the problems in the post-soviet military residential areas. Municipalities and regions alone have not enough knowledge, capacity and financial power to develop (or to safeguard at least) these areas at the moment. The situation is similar to other disadvantaged areas.
Lack of special methods for evaluation the situation within these territories to prepare decisions is additionally observed.
The project is divided in four parts. WP 1 is more general. General conditions will be analyzed beginning with investigation of national strategies and policy, laws, social impacts etc. Best and bad practice will be studied.
These findings will be discussed with practitioners in round table discussions in WP 2. There will be involved different levels of authorities, financiers, owners, inhabitants and experts to check our findings, to develop strategies and to collect information’s for developing methods and models. This will be an iterative process so it can improve findings, models and strategies by exchanging information between participants.
Local and regional activities also will include the public sector. Pilot projects will be set up in WP 4. They will check the models and findings in practice and allow finding out new ways and knowledge in development of former soviet military areas.
WP 3 is a work package to develop in co-operation between the three participating universities, experts and practitioner’s methods and models to improve decision-making on local, regional and national level. All this will be collected and summarized in WP 1 to draw conclusions, to explain suggestions and to disseminate findings.
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