WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Programme 2000 - 2006 North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2024-11-16

Description

Description (EN):

WIHCC (Water in historic city centres) tackles the good water management issues in old city centres and the role of water in the socio-economic and spatial structural intensification of such sites. 6 NWE medium size cities with city centres of historical interest – from Belgium, Ireland, the UK and Netherlands - are working together to revitalise the function of watercourses in their centres. Given the valuable potential benefits of water bodies in city centres (economic, social, cultural), the partners aim to use water as a starting point for spatial redevelopment of their respective cities. The partnership, led by Breda in the Netherlands, is based on a shared background of waterrelated planning issues linked to historic centres. Historical and socio-economic developments have meant that the functional waterways that were, have been neglected, from the functional and spatial point of view, and in certain circumstances have even disappeared. The objectives of the program are to include “historic” water as a basic development in spatial redevelopment of city centres, the use of the quality of water for supporting the multifunctional use of limited space in inner city centres for economic, cultural and residential functions; and the simultaneous realisation of integral water management. Pilot investments in the cities are part of wider investments in the water infrastructure and can be seen to trigger further investment in the near future. The use of a transnational Task Force and Flying Experts will allow the exchange of experience across investments. A film will be created showing the execution of the project; an innovative and transferable tool for the dissemination of the project’s experience. Individual findings will feed into a more strategic policy for water in historical cities in NWE.

Achievements (EN):

WiHCC: In general we can say that the entire project was successful. All local project were executed in time and were improved with the help of the other project partners. Also almost all overall activities were executed as planned. The City trip competition, the film and the Guideline were very successful. The impact in terms of ‘investments’ was enormous because all cities have invested a lot to improve the quality of public space. The greatest achievement of the project in ‘s-Hertogenbosch was that no formal or legal objections were made during the consultation phase. That is very rare and proves the support of citizens and entrepreneurs to the EU funded project The local investment project in Chester was entirely successful in achieving the aim of re-connecting the historic city and its waterways. The impacts are already being felt in terms of enhanced opportunities for sustainable transport/ commuting, visitor management, city centre economy, spatial quality improvements and overall helping to achieve Chester’s goal of becoming a ‘must see’ European destination by 2015. This last point also applies at a trans-national level and in this respect, the project has helped build on Chester’s position as an effective trans-national partner. The main result in Mechelen is the actual execution of the project it self. The grant was a key factor. The project in the end has cost more than double the original budget because it wasn’t executed in phases. The result is very much appreciated by all partners, all visitors, all experts and all media. The project is particularly successful in the improvement of the spatial quality and as a promenade that links on one hand a neighbourhood with the historical city centre, and on the other hand two cultural sites In Ghent a lot has been realized within a short period. Communication activities/products had a huge impact (final conference, water seminar, guideline). The acceptance of the new harbour by all kind of groups of inhabitants and entrepreneurs of Breda. Greatest Achievements: implementation within the budget and time. Impacts; the surrounding entrepreneurs with their bars and restaurants. Theirs are more entrepreneurs around the harbour then before the water and there is a total upgrading of the quality of the businesses. In limerick The completion of the project within the defined timescale was the biggest achievements as this was promised at the public meetings and the public did not believe it could be done. Furthermore the project was approved without any objections being made during the legal process as a result of an effectrive consultation process.

Thematic information

Water management Urban development Waterways, lakes and rivers

Partners (6)

Lead Partner: Gemeente Breda

Address: Post Box 3920, 4800 DX Breda, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Gemeente‘s-Hertogenbosch

Name: Gemeente‘s-Hertogenbosch

Address: 5200 GZ 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

City of Limerick

Name: City of Limerick

Address: Limerick, Ireland

Legal status: n/a

City of Mechelen

Name: City of Mechelen

Address: 2800 Mechelen, Belgium

Legal status: n/a

City of Ghent

Name: City of Ghent

Address: B-9000 Gent, Belgium

Legal status: n/a

City of Chester

Name: City of Chester

Address: CH1 Chester, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Gemeente‘s-Hertogenbosch

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Partners and Projects info

City of Limerick

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Partners and Projects info

stad Mechelen

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Partners and Projects info

City of Ghent

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Partners and Projects info

gemeente Breda

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Partners and Projects info

City of Chester

WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Project acronym: WIHCC

Project start date: 2003-11-01

Project end date: 2007-11-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 11 865 487.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 5 850 739.00

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2000 - 2006 North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2019-09-02

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

97 / 97 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

891 / 891 (100%)

Notes on the data

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WIHCC (Water in Historic City Centres)

Description

Thematic information

Partners (6)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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