Author(s): wvi & Lille métropole Communauté urbaine

ABSTRACT
(cross-border co-operation, rivers and canals, French-Belgian metropolis Lille)
(Ieper, Kortrijk, Lille, Mouscron, Roeselare, Tournai)

In conjunction with the Cross-border workshop, experts from two inter-urban structures (WVI and Lille Métropole Communauté Urbaine – which form part of the COPIT-GPCI) made a review of the network of rivers and canals in the cross-border metropolis.
The working group introduced the term “a blue network for the metropolis”, so as to create more consistency in this area, and propose a joint strategy. This strategy is designed to upgrade rivers and canals, according to various criteria and on the basis of town planning, landscape, ecological, biological, recreational and transport-economic targets (in combination with local, metropolitan and regional levels). The study also outlines the features of “the blue network”. It makes recommendations about management, the environment, settlement, industry, planted areas, infrastructure, … .