Recommendations to improve the rural-urban relationship

The main objective of this section is to highlight recommendations to improve rural-urban linkages within the Alps and with territories outside the Alps, based on rural-urban partnership. Such partnerships may help strengthen territorial cohesion and contribute to more sustainable forms of spatial development. In addition and by definition, rural-urban linkages arise from contemporary urban and rural dynamics, settlement structure and territorial functioning. It therefore seems essential to also draw attention to more general recommendations that address both urban and rural development issues. The recommendations are guided by the WIKIAlps project's vision of sustainable spatial development (SSD), grounded on normative transnational and national spatial policy and planning documents, results of the WIKIAlps project analysis and expertise and experiences of the WIKIAlps partners.

• Support polycentric development
• Strengthen small- and medium-sized urban centres
• Integrate transport and urban planning
• Sustain basic services
• Diversify and sustain rural economic activity

• Promote rural-urban partnership
• Promote partnership between alpine and peri-alpine territories
• Promote governance approaches at the scale of the functional urban area