The Baltic Sea Region | 40 Recommendations to act

What the Baltic Sea Region is

Why we need the Baltic Sea Region

Who leads the process

North-South bond

North sub-region

Peaceful coexistence

South sub-region

Entirety of the region

The Baltic Sea

Speculative flag of the Baltic Sea Region

Coastal cordon

East-West bond

What the Baltic Sea Region is

State of commonness

The Baltic Sea Region or the Baltic is home, the lifestyle or the state of mind and the state of commonness. It is community connected by the sea. It is multi-scalar and multilevel process with the sea as a performance platform. It consolidates the EU statement from 2009 with geographical conditions, notion of everyday life, and citizens’ feelings. The coast might be both the destination for holidays and a struggle for living in vast landscapes. From a single jellyfish to all the nomads rooted in the place which we all are - the Baltic Sea Region.

Rights to the Sea

The Baltic Sea Region has been operating based on geographical and water system logic ever since 1974. The very first Convention was made in Helsinki addressing the increasing environmental challenges from industrialization and other human activities that were having a severe impact on the marine environment. The sea basin and rivers systems had to be taken as a unity despite political differences among 10 states at that time. One can notice the difference between the state borders and the sea drainage basin borders in the pictures on the left.

The importance of the Baltic Sea has progressed considerably since the 80s. Therefore, this is the time to state the legal rights to the sea!

Macro-region strategy

The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) is the first Macro-regional Strategy in Europe, approved in 2009. The EUSBSR is an agreement between the Member States of the EU and the European Commission to strengthen cooperation between the countries bordering the Baltic Sea to meet the common challenges and to benefit from common opportunities facing the region through three objectives: saving the sea, connecting the region and increasing prosperity. The EUSBSR is implemented in concrete joint projects and processes coordinated by Policy Area Coordinators and respective Focal Points. It is a part of the EU macro-regional community together with the Danube, Alpine, Adriatic and Ionian regions. Should we propose a North Sea macro-region to form a full European family?

Source: ‘EUSBSR in a nutshell'; https://www.eusbsr.eu/about/about

The Baltic Sea drainage basin

The Baltic Sea states and the drainage basin

From goals to actions

The BSR is a platform for cooperation and coordination with open and transparent participation, inclusiveness and multilevel governance. The Strategy focuses on challenges and opportunities, which are more efficiently addressed when working in a coordinated manner across countries within the region.

The BSR has three objectives: Save the Sea, Connect the Region and Increase Prosperity. Each of them covers a wide range of policies and has an impact on the other objectives –they are interlinked and interdependent. The objectives are complemented by sub-objectives.

The work within the EUSBSR is thematically divided into policy areas (PAs), each of which develops between two and four actions.

Source: ‘EUSBSR in a nutshell’; https://www.eusbsr.eu/about/implementation

Why we need the Baltic Sea Region

Who leads the process

Governments and in between

The EU member states involved in the EUSBSR are Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The EUSBSR implementation is coordinated in close contact with the European Commission and all relevant stakeholders, i.e. other member states, regional and local authorities and inter-governmental and non-governmental bodies. The Strategy is also welcoming cooperation with EU neighboring countries (Iceland and Norway).

How to act

Activities can be, for example, projects (single or grouped in clusters), processes, networks or platforms. Building on existing capacities is important and Policy Areas may continue to use the Flagship concept. However, the strategy must remain open also for activities outside of established structures.

Financial instruments for these activities are usually organized by the EU funding programs and organizations like Interreg. Locally, governmental organizations like the Nordic Council of Ministers organize calls for smaller-scale and the BSR-related projects. Governments also finance essential activities and projects for cooperation.

Source: ‘EUSBSR in a nutshell’; https://www.eusbsr.eu/about/about

Nordhavn habitat

The district in North of Kobenhavn combines the port activities and neighborhood which is under construction perfectly. The land use and functional program changes throughout the time. However, citizens and port companies benefit from coexistence.

Source: https://www.playplusdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2-copenhageninternational-school.png

Quantity to quality

Generally, quantitative measures of import or export identifies success of a port. This approach comprise big scale economic or GDP growth. However, its contribution to a quality of everyday life is still unanswered. Ports should rise the highest standards of quality, due to their privileges and benefits. “A Manual for European Ports Towards a Green Future, 2021” excellently discuss holistic future of the European ports. Here is proposed compass which measure interrelation among economic growth and other port activities.

→ Measure ratio of the port activities and outcomes instead of separate factors. The goal is a proportionated circle among all the aspects:

From global to local

Principally, ports are international economic and prosperity drivers. However, global economic or political ‘tectonic’ shits might affect ports rapidly. The cut of resource flows during the war illustrated it in 2022. This state calls for resilience and planning towards crisis. Therefore the strength is in neighboring cities and regions. Strongly integrated planning and coordination among regional production, city business and innovation and port logistical functions ensures desired adaptability. Using the strength of local production helps to uplift them to the global economics through ports. This has been proved by “Rotterdam food cluster” strategy. Port, city, towns and entire South-Holland region works in synergy creating strong food production ecosystem.

→ Establish long term cooperation among regional and city industries, innovators and port logistics.

→ Joint strategic goals, long term agreements and overarching vision documents between makers and logistics. It might ensure global position for the port.

Diversity

Compact development

The concept of sustainability has spread all over the strategies and sectors in the EU. Expansion strategies were abandoned and a compact mindset took over in cities, states and the continent. However, traditional economic development requires territorial expansion creating several conflicting situations. Territorial expansion should be envisioned as the last option for the development strategies.

→ Implement ‘strategic spatial planning’ practices. They involve strategic planning and spatial implementation. It is usually more beneficial than territorial planning.

→ Intensify existing port territory. Compact development calls for more efficient use of space. Redesign and reorganize space use to avoid territorial expansion strategy.

→ Consider and make connections with stakeholders who have located farther from the coastline. Cooperate towards the integrated logistical system to compensate for the lack of coastal development.

The ports are way more complex structures than they look from aside. There is way more than containers and massive ship infrastructure. However, the historic development and technological advancement in harbors have simplified their activities and capabilities. It is crucial to acknowledge the diversity of local economic activities and synergies between manufacturing and logistics.

→ Specialize in target industries (building materials, food, bioproduction) and divide these clusters in the territory of a port.

→ Diversify functions in the port territory and ensure symbiosis between different sectors: manufacturing, energy, logistics and innovation.

Recommended projects

• Establish a port innovation hub

• Joint vision connecting city and port

• Transformation strategy for the oil terminal

• Productive port strategy: bringing manufacturing into the harbor

• Local port-global impact: a strategy for the regional and urban production cycle

Cities

Makers of Aarhus

Sydhavnen in Aarhus is an exceptional place between the central city and the port. This district in under transformation. However, local makers use the potential connecting urban activities and small and medium scale manufacturing. The ‘inbetween’ position upgrade the urban qualities and serve for both citizens and the port.

Source: https://standby.dk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Aarhus-Sydhavnskvarteret-FotoIb-S%E2%94%9C%C2%A9rensen_2951.jpg

Manufacturing back to cities

Cities have always been the center of innovation and production. This soul has shrunk throughout the last decades when manufacturing was pushed out of the urban core. The natural capability has to be brought back to cities now. Brussels, London and Rotterdam are researching and restoring contemporary urban manufacturing inside cities and residential areas in the project “Cities of Making”. Up-to-date urban manufacturing embodies sustainable development, citizens’ economy and productivity. It is a good start for innovation in mass industries. Pollution, non-human scale and disadvantaged workers are the stories from the past.

→ Investigate current manufacturing companies, infrastructure and possibilities in the city.

→ Initiate and support local urban manufacturers.

Neighborhood planning

Local neighborhoods are the closest urban living environment for many residents of our cities. Neighborhood planning has been a successful practice in cities for more than a century. However, notably the Baltic states and Poland have overlooked the essential urban entity for several decades. Emphasized visionary and performative neighborhood planning would strengthen citizen participation. Also, it would balance sustainable local lifestyle, bring investment into discriminated places and unwrap the local potential.

→ Initiate neighborhood development visions and strategies.

→ Form separated teams for each city district in the city planning department.

Public goods

Public goods in cities have progressively become the meter for quality of life. Diversity, intensity and uniqueness of public goods are the true attractors for citizens.

→ Admire and invest in different public goods: public and green spaces, civic buildings, public events and celebrations, affordable housing, multimodal transport infrastructure and accessible heritage.

→ Highlight and support unique goods which could take place only in a particular city: public baths, promenades, unique landscapes, alternative culture hubs or accessible heritage (military, industry, XXth century, landscape, and other).

→ neighborhood plan

Specialization

Most recognizable cities have an exceptional collection of identity elements. As a rule, they are based on the social, economic or natural strengths of that place. The production ecosystem strengthens a city when these aspects are connected. Finally, the organized production ecosystem result in local products and services.

→ Highlight and finance opportunities and strengths of a city. They outline the specialization and help to engage the private sector and investors in development easier.

→ Emphasize the common theme of specialization. Link the regional resources and production in cities.

→ strategic topics

Connecting region and port

Cities are the consolidation places for different people, resources, industries, ecologies and ideas. These subjects are located in surrounding ‘neighbors’ and areas. Accordingly, the local region and port are those ‘neighbors’ who contain unique local natural and synthetic resources and bring them to other cities and places. The interrelation among all three scales is fundamental. City - port - region is the ‘family’ that shares separate roles, connecting very local treasures with global economic flows. The city would benefit as an innovator, producer and connector among all the mentioned actors.

→ Make plans and cooperation by integrated strategic planning among port, city, towns and an entire region.

→ Align only the same core strategic themes and bring the port and region to common agreements.

→ integrated strategic planning

→ patterns for cooperation

Hamburg to Rovaniemi on foot

The connected region should be projected in the cities.

→ Emphasize existing international transportation hubs, links and multimodal nodes. Communicate routes of public and nonmotorized ways of transport (from home to the international terminal on foot).

→ Initiate joint international transport tickets (trains, ferries, regional transport, plains, city transport).

Recommended projects

• ‘The Sea ticket’. Interrail, inter-ferry seasonal tickets

• Central station - ferry terminal fast bus in Klaipėda

• Aarhus City and a port joint vision

Regions

Life science region

Stockholm has been a strong life science center forever. Recently joint Stockholm and Uppsala strategy has put the ambitions even higher. The life science region has started only the first transformation projects. The new research center is the illustration of this strategy. Their ambition is to become one of the world leaders in this field.

Source: https://studyineurope.com.sg/storage/6656/LRM_XPO RT_182100376271559_20181112_144535429.jpeg

Specialize and design!

Each region has its own ‘special power’. Some regions are recognized as historic holiday places, some are famous for old forests and wood production and others are leaders in renewable energy and manufacturing innovations. The collection of these highlights and strategic themes shapes the unique identity of the region and incorporates towns, cities and villages into the common regional life. Vidzeme region in Latvia has laid a good foundation for a strategic-spatial plan. Much has to be done to implement it.

→ Highlight the strengths and opportunities of a region. Choose 4 main strategic themes and prioritize them in strategies and financing.

→ Design the strategies and territorial solutions in placebased strategies on a map. They might reveal more local resources and treasures and strengthen the evidence for regional planning.

→ regional spatial-strategic plans

→ specializations

Engage with industries

Regional strategy and coordination are valuable tools to ensure long term regional development. However, exactly citizens and the private sector will experience the outcomes. Both private industries and citizens are crucial partners to engage in the strategy. Private companies would implement, put into practice and pay the strategies off financially.

→ Prioritize economic specialization and industrial ecosystem in regional strategic-spatial planning.

→ Communicate short-term goals and specific tangible projects. They are necessary to engage the local industries and manufacturers in common activities.

→ projects

Region is the future city

Network of life activities expands boundaries of homes and cities. Future challenges (climate, economic) might be solved when working in accord among different places. Regions are exactly networks of cities, towns and spaces in between. Therefore, regions are becoming frameworks for contemporary life. The central cities concentrate life, production and international representation. Meanwhile, surrounding towns ensure better life quality and produce specific services.

→ Support cooperation among cities and surrounding towns. Help the smaller settlements to articulate their own identity and strengths.

→ Ensure necessary physical, virtual and mental connections among different places. Use different modes and media (cultural, informal, soft, formal, legal and others)

Recommended projects

• Blekinge strategy. Synergy between Karlskrona and Karlshamn

• Baltic coastal strategy. Cooperation between Klaipėda and Liepaja

• Suwalki strategy. Cross-border cooperation for a safe life

Industries and makers

Innovation district AGAIN

Don’t get the message wrong. Innovation hubs and districts are the drivers for cities, industries, manufacturing, science, ports, logistics and all the citizens. Limited synergies among different industries project weak cities and communities. Humboldthain technology park in Berlin is an illustration of such a space for synergies. The image is also an illustration of projected future. It seems that the future is in innovation districts.

Source: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/images/cobe1png/alternates/BASE_21_9_ W2000/cobe1png.png

Ecosystems

Local product development is one of the sustainable economic goals. Strong regional industrial networks and production lead towards the resilient economy in the global context. The production ecosystem is based on the direct link between resource makers, producers, distributors and sellers which every participant benefits. As a result, regions with local farmers and waste collectors connect ports in a circular economic flow.

→ Envision an end product and cooperate with related producers. The cooperation network could be as follows: Local farmers - producers of material - storage - manufacturers of a product - assemblers of different products - packagersdistributors - sellers - users - leftover collectors.

→ network of projects

Small - big friendship

On the one hand, industrial ecosystem admires small producers due to their fast adaptability to crises and close connection to local context. On the other hand, big industrial players bring the international investment, possibilities for export and higher quality knowledge. The holistic industrial quality can only be achieved by cooperation between both sectors which might inform global production with a very local resources and knowledge.

→ Identify existing and probable links between the leading manufacturers and local small and medium industries. Initiate communication between them.

→ Initiate production oriented development and cooperation. First, develop a product, then divide the process among the stakeholders.

→ Prioritize differentiation among the companies. Organize network based on industrial ecosystem, cooperation and infrastructure.

Local production to global success

Paradoxically, international recognition has to have a strong foundation in a specific location - a city or region. Local materials and unique methods are the key elements which are interchangeable. The unique merge of regional, and city-based traditions, tools, materials and methods might be the answer to the competition in global manufacturing. Still, the local keys have to be identified and connected.

→ Investigate local strengths and opportunities in regions and cities. Admire heritage and other historical practices.

→ Plan and design the local products and services with a global attitude. Mind other regions working in the same field.

Innovations in cities

Cities have always been centers for innovations. This is probable due to concentration of businesses, traders, craftsmen or citizens. The merge of bio production, IT, plastics, wood production, logistics, social innovations or waists brings the novelty. Finally, the benefits would reach producers and wider society.

→ Admire unconnected businesses which work in different fields in the same city. There might be a potential for a joint production.

→ Test, co-produce, co-design, cooperate and communication the processes of manufacturing and innovation.

Space for makers

City which is able to produce new things is usually stronger. This is the reason why making and manufacturing is coming back to the cities. In order to bring the productivity back to a city, ones need to implement places for these activities. Urban makers need different space than offices or factories. These workshops should be freely modifiable and easily reachable from a person’s living room.

→ Initiate pilot places for making and designing in all residential districts.

→ Identify and transform spaces and infrastructure which could be taken by local makers nearby their home.

→ Establish central makers’ district in the city or town. Interconnect the specialization with local manufacturing traditions.

Recommended projects

• Local makers’ market and district

• Transformation of old garages into workshops

• The strategy of an industrial ecosystem for the city. Empowering businesses for innovations

• Strategy for city innovations. Towards local and sustainable industry

• Annual forum for the industry of the region

• International fair for local companies and production

Organizations of the BSR

Summer festival

Young architects community of Europe gathers together every summer. Active guys from Nordics and Baltics recently organized their own gathering. It balances productive workshops with informal summer camp mood. The community is very much informal. However, it sometimes produce more architecture knowledge then any formal organization in the world. EASA is a good example of a fruitful activism and leisure. The picture is from 2016 workshop in Lithuania.

Source: https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/57c2/df53/e58e/cecc/fd00/0340/ slideshow/(c)_Alexandra_Kononchenko_(11).jpg?1472388931

Stop producing, start integrating

Over 600 regional organizations and projects have carried out considerable amount of solutions, plans and knowledge throughout the years. However, the outcomes are difficult to reach, understand or use in practice. For example, reports over 50 pages are located in websites difficult to navigate in. That limits the use of valuable information for the BSR.

→ Highlight how outcomes are linked to the core goals and how others can use the outcomes: Save the Sea; Connect the Region; Increase Prosperity.

→ Prioritize and finance the projects which directly contribute to the main goals or sub-goals.

→ Interconnect solutions with other policy areas. Reach for interconnected goals with other organizations.

Engage citizens

Unfortunately, the Baltic Sea Region is rarely recognized in public society.

→ Introduce joint public communication about the Baltic Sea Region. Set the notion about the common regional identity.

→ Communicate the main outcomes for public society. Inspire citizens to follow and act.

→ Empower soft and informal actors (cultural organizations, institutions and creators) to communicate the common identity.

Open the door for others

The overall governance of the BSR is led by the public sector and intergovernmental organizations. Yet, the vision is impossible to achieve without private companies and ordinary citizens. Most successful goals are usually reached by consensus of public, private and civic actors.

→ Organize integrated projects with other policy areas and academia, policymakers, decision makers, private sector.

→ Integrate private and civic actors. They will experience and execute the decisions. Communicate short-term specified targets for the private sector.

→ Follow the core regional goals and initiate projects in different gears: flagships - yachts - water taxis - boats.

→ ways of cooperation

Untie hair - go informal!

Formal governance typically ensures long term fundamental goals. However, recent geopolitical crises and other challenges require quick and soft actions.

→ Combine formal and informal activities. Formality might degrade the concept of the region.

→ Involve citizens in the processes. Organize informal activities: festivals, cultural events, competitions and information.

Flagshipproject

Recommended projects

Watertaxiproject

• Public communication of the BSR

• Baltic Sea music festival on the sea coast

• ‘Flagship’ long term project on port cities’ cooperation with private, public and civic participants

• ‘Water taxi’ short-term project on cross-border tourism strategy

• ‘Yacht’ mid-term project on cooperation among coastal regions

• Yearly event ‘Embrace the Sea’

Spatial perspective. 2022 update Vision to kitchen

The macro-regional strategies and visions is a challenge to understand for many. The clear translation and explanation is necessary. Once designers in Poznan created the column installation depicting the statistics of climate effects. Ones could touch, feel, see take pictures and get uncomfortable with the environmental statistics. This is a powerful way of communication.

Source: https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5d26/d982/284d/d1c1/d200/003d/ slideshow/1_totemy_general_view.jpg?1562827081

Open door for others

Cities should be created by everyone if they belong to everyone. The same rules could be applied to regional or macro-regional communities. Nonetheless, the common BSR strategy is strictly divided among Policy Areas. Private, academic or nongovernmental stakeholders often participate fragmentarily. The sea could become a platform for cooperation.

→ Follow the 3 main goals and engage them with other policy areas, for integrated solutions.

→ Appreciate quick wins and long term projects equally Diversify projects and funding: flagships - yachts - water taxi - boat

→ Invite academia (e.g. Baltic University Program), policymakers, decision makers, private sector, strategic companies or other organizations into planning processes. They are those who implement the plans. Adopt projects to their needs.

→ platform of the project

From a macroregion to a street

Long term perspective and vision are fundamental base for common development. However, they have to be encored to the ground. The spine should hold vision statement with cities implementation plans. Strategies of ports should be connected to macro-regional goals. Jump the scales back and forth!

→ Link the outcomes with countries’ national plans and regional plans. Assure local curators in ministries or regions for local implementation and communication.

→ Join forces among Spatial Policy Area with Union of th Baltic Cities or Baltic Port organization. Establish project for implementation of the long term perspective.

Coastal regions and cities

Most of the problems, opportunities and cities are located along the coastline. Also, most of the capital cities are coastal port cities. As a result, the coastal regions should be the most proactive drivers of the integrated planning.

→ Engage coastal regions into the processes as soon as possible. Co-design visions, strategies and plans.

→ Listen and react to the coastal planning conditions. The process should turn to tennis match between macro-region and coastal regions.

→ regional zoning

Local regions

Local regions are the key implementers of the long term perspective. Appreciate their extensive scale and concrete projects.

→ Establish long term cooperation with BSSSC as representatives of local regions.

→ Invite both governmental and regional authorities as the same stakeholders of the same importance.

→ regional zoning

Recommended projects

• Action plan for 10 years

• Connection with national spatial and strategic plans

• Pilot project: integrated land-sea-port-city-region for 3 macro-regional goals

• Transport nodes. Implementing international crossings

• System of evaluation. Holistic measure tool

• Common framework for land-sea interaction. Adaptability to each state

• Thematic plan. Save the Sea and territorial implementation

Governments

The

Future transit

start regenerating the cities and regions along the railway!

Source: https://www.lrt.lt/img/2019/08/09/488952-14594-1287x836.jpg

Rail Baltica is an exemplary macro-regional project. The new railway will encircle the BSR with the international rail network. We should not stop at the deadline of this project. Let’s

Stronger statement

Primarily the macro-region is formed by independent states. Governmental dedication plays a very important role in ensuring long term commitment to the BSR community. Also, the national administration is an important flight attendant for local regions and municipalities implementing those decisions.

→ Make a strong public statement about the BSR and long term dedication to cooperation among the members.

→ Local curators of the BSR affairs should coordinate representatives from different ministries, implementation of macro-regional strategies and represent the country in the international formats.

Agreement of political parties

The common political identity of the BSR is usually backstage. However, the political kick is a vital action for any strategy.

→ Establish cross-party or common political long term agreement among states’ political leaders.

→ Articulate a stronger position towards the BSR in the political agenda.

Activate! From listening to designing

Despite a number of joint projects and activeness of local administrations, governmental institutions are important player in the processes as well. They should not only support but also initiate projects significant for entire state.

→ Transfer the international strategies into national, regional and city plans.

→ Encourage and support local regions and cities to participate in related partnerships and projects in the BSR.

Joint financing

Stronger financial engagement might bring faster benefits. Financing programs (Interreg and others) are a very good tool to foster diverse activities. Still, the permanent budget into joint regional wallet would ensure essential activities (infrastructure, crisis management, others)

→ Create permanent ‘Sea’ budget collected from all the governments which would cover common basic needs.

→ Invest in cross-border projects led by the BSR organizations instead of financing organizations alone.

Recommended projects

• Joint political statement towards the sea community

• The Initiative of joint treasury

• The sea action plan project implementation

• Internationally important project implementation plan

Maritime Spatial Planning

Region on the water

The Maritime Spatial Plans are in the process of adaptation all around the Sea. Most of the plans are already in force. The sea is becoming a new region of a country. Use the plans as the framework for a dynamic processes and start connecting land with water, the economy with the environment or coast with another coast. The portals are the places where all the connections happen. Tallinn has recently put the standards of terminal design very high. We should keep up with the new qualities and design the coasts and the sea.

Source: https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/02/tallin-cruise-terminal_dezeen_2364_ col_19-1704x2272.jpg

Joint vision meets national zones

It comes as no surprise that cooperation is the key to manage a common water body. Still, there are legal and physical limits to ensure a long term commitment.

→ Overarching organizations should initiate joint spatialstrategic vision for the Baltic Sea. It should entail common principles and fundamental goals including protected zones energy network or shipping system. Local MSP plans should follow such a vision.

Design!

Plans are a traditional tool to reach a joint agreement and avoid uncoordinated development. However, their power are limited by implementation practices. Any plan should be tested in a very local scale (1 ship or turbine scale). This planning method allows to inform a plan better, communicate the plans publicly and construct the plan of implementation more effectively.

→ Initiate design process for a priority zone (energy extraction or protected area). Design the area in scale of 1:1000 and examine the possibilities.

→ Introduce regional or spatial designers as well as scientists into the process of design.

Seeking strong sustainability

Natural environments is the essential layer in the sustainability system that is why it should come as the overarching layer. Despite this clear statement, natural sea habitat is still neglected in many cases. Additionally, there is a great lack of scientific research and monitoring of the underwater ecosystems.

→ Prioritize ecosystem based approach. Organize sectoral development and coordination among these sectors.

→ Invest in cross-border agreements and negotiation towards integrated ecosystem approach. Acknowledge entirety of systems all over the sea basin.

Land-sea interaction

The most valuable, influential and sensitive area without a doubt is the coastal zone. Together with planners and designers connect the coasts around the sea.

→ Identify the framework for the coastal management and planning all around the sea.

→ Make the spatial strategic action plan for coastal zone. Identify priority spots, zoom-in them and organize detailed projects.

Space + strategy

Several action plans, visions and goals have been successfully adopted by the states and the overarching organizations: Helcom and Vasab. However, the implementation of these plans is carried out separately between sectors and states. Many gaps are identified and coordination of the processes is complicated.

→ Initiate integrated MSP implementation by bringing different sectors and stakeholders together. Measure the results in an integrated way.

→ Project the decision in a spatial environment: maps, sections, and 3D models.

→ Design infrastructure for multifunctional use. Use the space for several industries (e.g. fisheries and wind energy)

Recommended projects

• Joint MSP roadmap with the spatial plan

• Strategic projects in the Baltic Sea

• Join strategy for the energy cycle in the Baltic Sea Region

• Strategy for the natural environment: investigating and protecting

General notes Finally livable

Vilnius has proven that livability, comfort and rights to the city lay in the streets. Therefore, the city has started changing the qualities of streets in Naujamiestis. The safety, livability and local communities are flourishing there. Despite the ambitions of Stockholm, Berlin or Helsinki; Vilnius has been the most productive so far. Who said that people keep distance from each other all the time in the Baltic Sea Region?

Source: https://skveronamai.lt/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-27at-16.52.15.png

Future in landscapes

The average population density is more than half of the EU average reaching 43 inhabitants/km2. In addition, rural areas are steadily depopulating leaving more vast spaces. The landscapes define the North geography. Meanwhile the future of the BSR is regional planning and landscape design. Focus on strategic spatial strategies which define entirety of elements like a region or a district instead of single buildings. Landscape designers, urbanists and regional designers have tools to draw these strategies.

Principles-based consensus

Common principles should come first in the process of consensus. This has been proved by the legal exclusion of Eastern states in the BSR after the beginning of extensive war actions in 2022. As a result, exclusion politics is a good step towards an integrated macro-region. The general principles of the BSR should be stronger formulated and followed by all the decision makers in the future.

Soft-space limits

The ‘soft space’ and ‘soft cooperation’ are the unavoidable terms in nowadays agendas. The ideal images of transacting countries with have been defined by professors like Andreas Faludi. Still the ideal image of networked world has stopped by the boundaries of Europe. It is now evident that soft space has to have clear limits and strict boundaries around them. In other words, safe space can only exist within clearly defined boundaries. Soft space of the BSR and free borders have been drawn after the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine.

Resources for the future

There is no secret that expounder gas, oil and minerals lay below large natural areas and under the bottom of the oceans in the Arctic. Around 22% of all undiscovered resources to be exact. Let’s count the shrinking population in the regions and the visible natural environment above the ground. There is an unseen perspective of natural resources for the future which importance will grow with melting Arctic glaciers and inflow of climate refugees. The resources have to be protected legally by governments for the future generations and newcomers. Private sector and citizens would benefit following sustainable extraction rules and just distribution of the common goods.

Connect

The position of the Baltic Sea displays it as a central hall connecting the regions around it. Accordingly, ferries are the connectors between these coastal regions. Plan the water transport networks as the metro system looks in cities. Also, strengthen cross-border connections and invite different ferry companies to the discussion table.

Car-cities are past

No doubt has left after new urban agendas, the EU policies and street transformation in capital cities like Paris or Berlin. Car-dominated cities are the history of the XXth century. On the one hand, there is a concern about how to transform the cities built mainly around the motor transport systems. On the other hand, car or plane-oriented development has to be contextually reconsidered. Peripheral regions with low population density and huge distances between cities cannot sustain typical public transport like trains. The future of the transport system should be projected according to the context. Despite the development of public transport, it is crucial to reposition vehicles and plains in the entire transport pyramid.

North urbanism

Separated North urbanism is very much oriented towards isolation and disunion. Investigate the common identity and habitat features. Observe current planning trends and traditional development pathways. Invest in knowledge about North urbanism, regions and ways of living in the North.

Integrated, performative, listening and reflective region - platform

Built on trust. Public values as a base

Socioenvironmentally dynamic. Adaptable to unknown future ways of living

Socioeconomically integrated. Networked co-living system

Envieconomically self-sustaining. Cooperating for balance

DIT. Tool for planning

Patterns are the tool to deconstruct a very complex system into single elements and their interrelations. It helps to identify the choices and outcomes. Once we make a decision, certain actions follow that choice. In other words, we can grasp what actions follow the big planning decisions and what projects have to be implemented.

There are 3 groups of patterns: strategic, design and action patterns. The choices have to be made from different families of patterns.

Strategic Design Action

How to apply

Pick any strategic pattern which fits the political, spatial and other needs.

Once you choose a strategic pattern, look for design patterns which are necessary for that strategy. Be aware of a color match! Apply the chosen patterns on a map.

Finally, choose the action patterns which are necessary to implement the picked design patterns

future

Strategic patterns

Design patterns

From the sea to a street

The implementation of the macro-region strategy has to cut across different scales. The illustration of the design will depict the system and how 4 different scales interrelate with each other in the coming pages.

Macro-region

Region City Neighborhood

Nordic Baltic Pomeranic

Be aware of the proximity to the sea. Regions have to engage differently. The ones closest to the water should become leaders. The others: are influencers and supporters. 3 levels of power.

Be aware of the differences among states. Paradoxically, the macro-region has to be divided into sub-regions to integrate them: Nordic, Baltic and Pomeranic.

Be aware of the natural water structure. The cooperation should be based on the Baltic Sea’s 5 water regions (sub-catchment areas).

Region strategy

Legend

Bioproduction landscapes

Cities focused on qualitative life

Knowledge cities

Knowledge exchange

Links among ‘slow living’ places

Logistical rotes

Touristic rotes

Water links

Leisure and touristic attractions

Train lines

Boundaries of river catchment areas Rivers

Coastline Water

Klaipeda region

Legend

Livable cities

Touristic rotes

Touristic destinations

Coastline Rivers

Catchment areas of rivers

Productive landscape concentration

Zone of bio production

Cities specialization in manufacturing

Functional connections by fast speed transport

Railway Administrative border Water

Karlskrona

towns in Blekinge

Kobenhaven Karlshamn Malmö

Blekinge institute of technology

alternative living district

Nordic communication hub

marine food cluster historical production island

logistics hub

knowledge building

tourism, leisure, culture -

living and making -

Kalmar Denmark

Gulberna makers district

balanced import export-

living by the port neighborhood

international ferry terminal

Legend Rivers Clusters

Zones of influence

Water transport connections

New connections

Physical connections Buildings

New clusters

Central Sweden Coastal towns Gdynia Regional islands smart living in transition -

Water

Karlskrona

Gdansk other destinations

future energy testing site

Klaipėda university

new station district

Liepaja airport

international ferry terminal

logistical innovation cluster

bio material cluster

Baltic home innovation district

plastic innovation cluster

home makers and tourism schools

Smeltė living with port hub

Legend Rivers

Clusters

Zones of influence

Vilhelm park Climate adaptation experimentarium

Water transport connections

New connections

Physical connections Buildings

New clusters

Water

District Baltic Makers District Klaipeda

The Little Karlskrona Living by the port

The Little Kobenhavn New city center

The Little Aarhus Public Bath

New ferry terminal

Ferries to Karlskrona, Kiel, Gdansk, Fredericia...

Logistics innovation district

Manufacturing innovation hub

The Little Malmo Living and making

Material innovation center

Manufacturing hub

Local makers

Nordic Communication Hub Karlskrona

The Little Helsinki Living with nature

Compact living by the station

Expanding marina

Green public space by the water

Making innovation island

The Little Klaipėda Telecommunication hub

Living

Klaipėda pier walk

Source: author

The best Semla of the year in Karlskrona. Officially. Nelly’s Cafe and bakery

Source: author

Speculative image of integrated production labeling

Source: author

From the sea to a product

Acknowledgement

The project “How We will Live Together in the North. Cooperation among Port Cities in the Baltic Sea Region” was defended as a Master thesis with Cum Laude in TU Delft in Autumn, 2022.

Mentors

Marcin Dąbrowski, Birgit Hausleitner, Verena Balz

Special thanks to my parents

Renata Kliučininkienė, Linas Kliučininkas

The methodology and recommendations are currently being adopted in the projects in the Netherlands, Lithuania and other states in the Baltic Sea Region.

The information in this booklet reflects only the author’s scientific and practical expertise, unless cited.

Full project link

Paulius Kliučininkas is an architect, urban planner, designer and strategist based in Vilnius and Rotterdam. Raised in North urban environments in Lithuania. Shuffling planning and design from regional to a building scales. Currently, Paulius is an advisor in the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania. Additionally, he carries out projects about post-war cities, rural urbanism and MSP. Aside from traditional urban planning and design practice, he researches, educates, curates and writes on spatial subjects and arts. Secretly explores the notion of metamodern life and the conjunction of films and cities.

Keywords: territories, cross-border, sustainable planning, spatial-strategic planning, urban manufacturing, degrowth, (macro) regional planning, the Baltic Sea Region, city-port, urban regeneration, circular economy, landscape urbanism, maritime spatial planning, atmospheric planning, radical contextualism, metamodernism.

Photographed by Roberto Rocco

8 states and the sea

The Baltic Sea Region

Based on the project: How We will Live Together in the North. Cooperation among Port Cities in the Baltic Sea Region, TU Delft, 2022

by Paulius Kliucininkas