Bridges to Local Economies

Based on some five years of European research within the TURAS program on transitions, resilience and sustainability, “Bridges to Local Economies” is a handbook looking at the role of the ‘bridging actor’ in facilitating resilient and sustainable local economies. While the book has a focus on public authorities – whom have traditionally been charged as the guardians of ‘public interest’ – the strategies and methods presented in the book are just as relevant to entrepreneurs, community leaders, consultants and investors whom are as responsible for the health of local economies.

The book is based on four bridging strategies: 1) Connection between elements and the system, 2) Cooperation between pioneers and the establishment, 3) Alignment of particular and common interests and 4) Collaboration between communities and entrepreneurs.

The book covers numerous case studies involving OSMOS, including the Parco Agricolo, the Brussels Crown Barracks, the Solfatara di Manziana, Studio C and the PSS method in Malaga. We present our approach to transversal planning as a method to deal with place-based economies. It also covers a range of tools developed inhouse.

 Coordinated by Patrick Van den Abeele Bruxelles Environnement / Leefmileu Brussel (pvandenabeele@environnement.brussels).

BIC Lazio, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, University of East London. 

Prepared by Stephan Kampelmann (Université libre de Bruxelles / OSMOS) and Adrian Vickery Hill (OSMOS).