New tool for European urban planning
The COMET project was aimed at increasing our understanding of the changes occurring in major European city centres. These changes have seen businesses participating in the service sector move away from their traditional locations in the inner cities to outlying suburban communities. COMET is short for Competitive Metropolises - Economic Transformation, Labour Market and Competition in European Agglomerations. Research was conducted across seven countries in the cities of Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Strasbourg, Barcelona and Copenhagen and involved the participation of Universities, City governments, private planning and consulting bureau's. Following an initial meeting in Vienna contributions from Scandinavia, USA and Great Britain were also included and expanded to include over 16 partners. Over the years there has been a shift in the focus of urban change from a simple demographic expansion in numbers to a restructuring of the urban economy and spatial structure. Coupled with this, it has been increasingly apparent that there is an imbalance between core cities and suburban communities. As a result the project focused on balancing the spatial and economic development of city centres and focal areas of growth in suburban regions. It does so by promoting methodological tools for planning and investment which include the principles of sustainability. Through comparison data on the impact that the expansion of the service sector has had on the economy, COMET allowed for the prediction of demands and of development structures. In this way it hopes to support sustainable development and preserve the environment.
