ALPINTO – Revitalizing Small Town Centers Through Sustainable Development and Innovative Governance
The primary objective of ALPINTO is to strengthen small towns in the Alpine region by addressing the challenges of urban sprawl, revitalizing historical town centers, and fostering sustainable growth. Through innovative governance strategies and stakeholder collaboration, the project aims to bring vitality, identity, and sustainability back to the heart of small communities.
Challenges Addressed:
Urban Sprawl: The increasing expansion of small towns towards their peripheries, leaving town centers unattractive and underutilized.
Car Dependency: Limited mobility options increase reliance on automobiles, hindering sustainable transport solutions.
Degraded Historical Centers: Lack of vibrant economic and cultural activities in town centers.
Policy and Planning Gaps: Inconsistent commitment from policymakers and insufficient integration of creative solutions in local spatial planning.
Innovative Approach:
ALPINTO will implement a multi-level governance strategy involving the creation of detailed Master Plans for selected pilot towns. Each Master Plan will address territorial, traffic, architectural, and social challenges through:
Collaborative workshops with local stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, and citizens.
Integration of innovative planning techniques tailored to the Alpine context.
Emphasis on participatory planning to ensure community ownership and commitment.
Activities and Outputs:
Pilot Town Selection and Master Plan Development:
Identify and collaborate with small towns (5,000–20,000 inhabitants) as pilot sites.
Create visually rich and detailed Master Plans incorporating public input.
Workshops and Stakeholder Engagement:
Organize creative workshops and intensive partner meetings across all pilot towns.
Facilitate multi-level communication to align the interests of policymakers, experts, and citizens.
Transnational Knowledge Sharing:
Develop a policy handbook capturing transferable practices for towns facing similar challenges.
Harmonize planning approaches across the Alpine region.
Dissemination and Visibility:
Publish high-quality project results, including a 10-minute documentary and multilingual summaries.
Showcase pilot Master Plans at transnational conferences and public events.
Expected Results:
Revitalized town centers with increased social, cultural, and economic activity.
Reduced land consumption and improved mobility patterns.
Enhanced collaboration and shared governance practices in the Alpine region.
Concrete policy recommendations for sustainable town development.
Project Idea Types: Biodiversity and green infrastructure (Priority 1), Climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention (Priority 1)
