NEW or NOTROPOLIS: Heerlen, Aachen & Hasselt

NEW or NOTROPOLIS: making a new map of the Meuse-Rhine Euregion

At forums taking place in 3 cities (Heerlen, Aachen and Hasselt), research into regional development will be identified and discussed. The starting point for discussions will be “Die Grünmetropole”. This cross-border plan formed part of the Euregionale 2008 and can be viewed as a test case for Euregional cooperation. What has been its outcome so far, and how have the three countries worked together?
The programme in each of the different cities will be put together on the basis of the location itself. What tasks has the city set itself and how might these be best translated in relation to the neighbouring cities? The dialogue between the speakers, a panel and the public must be brought about by a single common denominator: the future of spatial and creative development in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion.

At each location, the forum will kick off with an information-market where cultural partners can present themselves to a wider public. The information-market is designed to inspire, to connect with the wider creative field and to provide a basis for informal networking prior to the proceedings. The forum discussion will follow this information-market. Expert speakers will present their vision of developments in the Euregion. The city in question will provide the focal point for discussions and the Euregion will be looked at from this perspective.

During each of the forums, a panel of specialists will formulate a number of design tasks relating to the topics under discussion. This panel will identify location-specific issues. For each of the forums therefore, the agenda will differ on the basis of which specific design tasks might materialise. These design challenges will be included in a final report for all participants and interested parties.

With NEW or NOTROPOLIS, SCHUNCK* will be targeting a wider professional public and offers a platform for administrators, designers, planners and citizens to get involved in an open debate about the future of the Meuse-Rhine Euregion.

On the 12th of April 2012, REcentre will be present at the information-market in Heerlen.

Liesje Dessers will also give that evening a lecture about the Euregional projects that REcentre has organised.

For more information and to register click here.