SEEDS

Background and Aim

Aim

SEEDS’ main aim was to promote the reuse of vacant sites by working transnationally to implement innovative spatial planning policy instruments, and by stimulating regeneration and sustainability across the North Sea Region to create thriving locations in which to live, work and invest.

Background

Across the North Sea Region vacant and derelict sites pose an increasingly urgent threat to territorial cohesion and economic competitiveness. This deters investment in declining areas, threatening parity and undermining economic equity between North Sea Regions. Reasons may include market failure, inflexible planning policies, shrinking populations or vested interests of speculative investors who sit on land-banks of empty sites until land values rise.

Policy responses remain piecemeal and uncoordinated, and no structure exists to enable innovative solutions to be shared transnationally. The result is unattractive, high-profile and wasted sites that deter investment and undermine North Sea Regions as places in which to live, work and invest.