This project, led by the Association of Local Authorities in the Ruhr District, and bringing on board 15 partners from Germany, the UK and Netherlands, aims to restore 16 ‘riverscapes’ (river landscapes) as the arteries of the regions involved. It also looks at ways to improve access to the rivers and revitalise them as focal points for recreation and regional economic development. The partner regions of Mersey Basin, Ruhr District or Mannheim each represent declining industrial areas which suffer from heavy industrial heritage that hinders re-vitalization. The project differentiates two sets of objectives: The first set of objectives relates to the expected impacts of the different pilot projects at economic, social and spatial level. The partners will look at ways to improve access to the rivers and revitalise riverside areas as focal points for recreation and regional economic development with a particular emphasis on correcting social imbalances and creating employment for the socially deprived. Environmental enhancement will also be encouraged through the regeneration of polluted areas and by testing the implementation of the EU Water & Habitat directives at local level. The second set of objectives relates to methodology, two major characteristics of which are the pursuit of PPPs (Public and Private Partnerships) for the development of ‘riverscapes’, and the focus on public consultation and widening the involvement of local communities in the decision-making process. The transnationality of the project stems from the exchange of knowledge and expertise between ‘expert’ regions and ‘learning’ regions. The ten investments foreseen include cleaning up riverside areas for recreation and swimming, promoting coastal reserves, establishing a company to maintain tourist facilities and perform vocational training, and converting mining sites and windmills, for the greater social inclusion of disadvantaged groups as part of a regional strategy.