Strategies which both create adequate support structures and lead to a solid local partnership among actors at the various political, commercial, social and voluntary levels. Such strategies must also include taking into account the general context of each urban area and compliance with goals like equal opportunities between men and women and protection of the environment.
On 13 October 1999 the European Commission adopted its guidelines for the Community's URBAN Initiative, devoted to the economic and social regeneration of declining towns and cities and run-down urban districts. Assistance from the European Regional Development Fund to support the new URBAN initiative in 2000-06 will total EURO 700 million. The new Initiative has two main objectives: encouraging the design and implementation of highly innovative strategies of economic and social regeneration in small and medium-sized towns/cities and declining areas in major conglomerations; reinforcing and exchanging knowledge and experience on regeneration and sustainable urban development in the European Union.