Regional Strategies for Industrial Areas

Urban areas with a legacy of “old industries” have faced large-scale investment needs in the regeneration of derelict land, rehabilitation of housing and infrastructure and in addressing ecological challenges, in addition to massive changes in economic activities and jobs. Cohesion policy has contributed to rehabilitation and new development. These regions depend on national and European industrial policy as well as on the capacity of local and regional actors to plan and develop a new and amenable space and a base for future economic development. This briefing note explains how urban areas like Manchester, Essen, Lille and Bilbao have mastered reconversion. In the future, urban areas could greatly benefit from the new possibilities offered through the Integrated Territorial Investment foreseen for the upcoming Cohesion policy period, 2014-2020.