ESPON TOWN

Project Website:
https://www.espon.eu

Network Partners
KU Leuven and Université François Rabelais de Tours

Project Summary

The aim of TOWN project was to construct ‘new’ knowledge about European small and medium sized towns (SMSTs), acknowledging that they are hardly considered subjects in EU policy yet are recognisable in the everyday experience of European citizens and firms. Therefore, TOWN research team designed and implemented a multi-method, multi-level research framework in order to tease out insights on the European town experience drawing on both qualitative and quantitative evidence. Its most key contribution to scientific knowledge on SMSTs is represented by the pan-European scope of the research project.

The project provides evidence on the roles and functions that small and medium sized towns perform taking into account the different territorial and functional contexts. Moreover, it assesses the different governance and cooperation arrangements used in ESPON countries to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies and public services.