Cities throughout North West Europe (NWE) welcome the challenge to increase public involvement in decision-making and planning. However. the major problems facing Europe cannot be addressed using entirely local approaches. This also requires strategic. coordinated responses. VALUE+ will demonstrate how cities can best integrate bottom-up and top-down approaches. It will show how we can both deepen local participation and broaden involvement in strategy development. We will take this opportunity to generate valuable improvements to local growth. innovation and resilience strategies. VALUE+ will work transnationally to involve citizens in spatial planning. It will train-up an international team of ‘Local EU Champions’. involving them directly in the project’s delivery and promotion. Public engagement will be ramped-up over time. so that residents. businesses and politicians also become champions of the wider EU Project. This will create an air of excitement and opportunity. VALUE+ will help local communities realise their ambitions and potential. In this way. VALUE+ will improve territorial cohesion and enhance the social and economic performance of 2nd rank NWE cities. VALUE+ develops and implements novel tools and techniques to support integration. yielding more legitimate and efficient decisions. and delivering results ‘outperforming’ more traditional approaches. VALUE+ combines local participation with technological innovations (interactive 3D visualisations. social media and advanced GIS decision-support). The project involves citizens directly in this process. thereby generating new enterprise opportunities. It draws together organisations representing urban interests. working across all scales and sectors to deliver highly integrated activities. The VALUE+ partnership – which includes cities. social enterprises and universities – creates and cements the collaborations capable of achieving these exciting and vital aims.