| Action project: Definition of an Interreg IIIB project, which generally does not involve capital expenditure, as distinct from an Investment project. |
| Brownfield land: Land that has previously been used by industry, commerce or housing and is suitable to re-use for similar or different purposes. |
| City regions: Enlarged territories beyond single administrative boundaries from which core urban areas draw people for work, provide them with services, and drive economic growth. |
| Community: People who may be affiliated through shared interests, situation or geographical proximity. |
| Community/citizen engagement: A two way process between institutions and people involving the sharing of information and ideas, where people are able to influence decisions and take part in the implementation of those decisions. |
| European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP): Indicative strategy drawn up and adopted by Member States in co-operation with the European Commission, promoting balanced and sustainable development of the European Union through spatial planning, incorporating the principles of sustainable development. |
| Green belt: A defined area of open land, usually separating urban from rural areas, where development is heavily restricted retaining it in a natural state or for agricultural use, in order to preserve its character and provide open space. |
| Investment project: Definition of an Interreg IIIB project, which generally involves capital expenditure, as distinct from an Action project. |
| Lisbon Strategy/Agenda/Process: Action and development plan for the EU, intended to deal with low productivity and the stagnation of economic growth through the formulation of various policy initiatives to be taken on by all EU Member States. Re-launched in 2005 with a new emphasis on competitiveness and employment measures. |
| Liveable/liveability: A concept covering all the things that improve the daily quality of life of communities and the areas where people live and work. |
| New Urban Landscapes: A term to describe patterns of land use that are the result of economic restructuring and changing social patterns in city regions, which generally no longer conform to traditional concepts of either city parks or countryside. Their environments are characterised by brownfield land and peri-urban and suburban sprawl with the growth of out of town shopping malls, new focal points around airports, major transport corridors, the growth of dormitory satellite settlements and surrounding areas of agriculture and forestry that no longer sustain their former economies. They are often the focus for new and multicultural communities. |
| Partnership: A term that can be applied to different kinds of relationships, for example formal and informal, restricted or inclusive. SAUL uses it to mean partnerships that are inclusive and broadly based, bringing together statutory and non-statutory, formal and informal players, in which citizens can participate and play a meaningful part. |
| Peri-urban: Areas surrounding formal urban boundaries facing pressures of urbanisation and housing sprawl, often through rapid population growth and/or the changing patterns of commercial life, frequently resulting in environmental and sometimes social degradation. |
| Region/regional: A greater area than local boundary definitions, usually inclusive of several municipalities or parts of them. SAUL uses the term flexibly to include both whole regions by statutory definition, such as Greater London, and smaller areas without legal, institutional or structural status, but defined by characteristics, shared interests or common use. |
| Regional parks: Area of preserved open space representing a significant regional resource, likely to attract users from a wide distance, seeking environmental and recreational experiences not usually available elsewhere. |
| Spatial vision: Statement of the shared long term goals for the spatial structure of a region, which assists in the formulation and selection of spatial planning programmes and projects. |
| Sustainable community: A place where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all. |
