HETFA Research Institute will participate in an ESPON Targeted analysis coordinated by Spatial Foresight (LU). The ESPON Lakes project held its kick-off meeting on the 28th of October, where the partnership – beside the coordinator, the Friedrich-Alexander University (DE), HETFA Research Institute (HU) – and the representatives and stakeholders of the ESPON EGTC took part.
The project deals with integrated development opportunities of regions covering large lakes in Europe. The study will focus on 3 main case study areas, such as the Lake Constance (AT-DE-CH), the Vänern lake (SE) and Lake Balaton (HU). In addition, smaller case studies of 9 other lake regions will be carried out. The aim of the project is to compile comparable evidence from these different regions, to elaborate guidelines for their integrated territorial development and to help them to position themselves in wider national and European policy contexts. Beyond the partnership, the project will involve a number of additional experts from case study areas.
On the partnership level HETFA will coordinate the tasks of the comprehensive and comparative analysis. Beyond that, HETFA will be responsible for the case study focusing on Lake Balaton and its regions (HU) and will also support tasks connected to the Lake Neusiedl study (HU-AT). Within the framework of the detailed examination of Lake Balaton, HETFA carries out the assessment of the environmental, social, economic and public policy areas, as well as the elaboration of the concept and guidelines for its sustainable integrated territorial development.