North Sea Skills Integration and New Technologies

Speaking a multi disciplinary language to integrate the worlds of spatial planning and water management. Encouraging the implementation of innovative technical and sustainable solutions which have already proved to be successful.

Transnational SKINT work packages
The project will be carried out in a series of work packages (WP) meeting the requirements of transnational objectives.

WP 1 – Communication, participation and dissemination
A transnational analysis of communication between stakeholders in multidisciplinary urban land and water management processes, supported by the transnational exchange of professionals. During the SKINT project the partner consortium and their regional and national networks will be trained with the help of a communications consultant. Results will be used for the SKINT water portal and the training programme.

WP 2 – SKINT water portal
The creation of a web-based water portal that will be used during the project as a medium for communication between the partners and their networks and as a permanent web-portal for urban water and land use in Europe. The portal will be complementary to and interact with portals being developed by other projects. After SKINT the water portal will continue to be a dynamic user driven website for future multidisciplinary stakeholders and a source of communication about truly sustainable urban water management.

WP 3 – Placing water earlier in the planning process
A transnational analysis about integrating water in urban land use projects from the start in order to improve the integration of the land and water management processes. The aim is to identify, to enhance and to test the current and emerging water management procedures and solutions available for the integration of land and water management within urban areas.

WP 4 – Selling sustainability
Equipping professionals with procedures and tools to understand and demonstrate the need for more sustainable solutions for urban water management. Drawing on previous work such as NORIS and Urban Water, multidisciplinary discussion is facilitated by a framework for sustainability assessment developed within SKINT and tailored for integrated and inclusive urban land and water management.

WP 5 – Training the champions of change
The creation of a web-based and face-to-face training programme for future water and urban land use professionals. The training will provide detailed and up to the minute knowledge for professionals involved with the built environment, ensuring the needs of integrated land and water planning are better met. The training programme will pay special attention to our findings with respect to multidisciplinary cooperation. The target group for the training will be a range of disciplines involved in water management and spatial planning / development control who as end users will be the champions of sustainability. This training will link to other training programmes on multidisciplinary work.