Urban rural cooperation on land, settlement, young people and agriculture

Sustainable development objectives are challenged by ongoing urbanization and require a new organization of therelationship between city and countryside. These have historicly always been closely intertwined through exchange relations. Changing economic patterns, innovations in information and communication technology, regional urbanization, and the interchange of goods and people over long distances are blurring the boundaries between city and countryside. At the same time, spatial and sectoral rural development and urban sustainability of cities (and their surrounding areas) to develop concepts, tools and governance principles that provide answers to the growing need for integrated planning and management. On example is the unsustainable urban sprawl and settlement expansions as well as addressing the local issues of governance; issues on the inter-municipal scale and with a various amount of stakeholders are often left unattended. Poorly integrated and unsystematic land use, development policies and environmental management regulations increase land–related conflicts and handicaps economic development. The transnational exchange of experiences and cooperation specifically with regard to the management of resources is strongly needed.