The Alto Minho Intermunicipal Community (CIM Alto Minho) received yesterday, October 13th, at its facilities in Viana do Castelo, a delegation from the Municipality of Săcele, Romania. The visit aimed to share best practices in urban regeneration, heritage rehabilitation, public space qualification, and the development of cultural and leisure infrastructure.
The Romanian delegation, comprising the Mayor of Săcele, the Head of Investments, the Secretary-General, and the Technical Manager, traveled to Alto Minho to learn about experiences and solutions applicable to an urban regeneration project in their municipality.
CIM Alto Minho presented the main investments made in the territory during the 2014-2020 community programming period, highlighting the contribution of European funds. 220 projects were supported with 122 million euros in funding across areas such as education, health, sustainable mobility, innovation, tourism, urban regeneration, energy efficiency, and climate change adaptation. In the field of urban regeneration, the investment amounted to 50.8 million euros, enabling interventions for public space requalification and building rehabilitation.
The presentation also emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships with Galicia for cross-border cooperation and the investment priorities within the current community support framework, where CIM Alto Minho plays a central role in coordinating the ten municipalities.
Following the working meeting, the Romanian delegation was received at the Viana do Castelo Municipal Chamber and visited the city's historic center, as well as the future Viana Starts Centre, being developed through the rehabilitation of the former municipal slaughterhouse. This new space will be dedicated to co-creation, artistic experiences, and creative applications of emerging technologies.
The visit allowed for the showcasing of interventions and projects developed in Alto Minho, fostering the exchange of experiences and the identification of solutions to address the urban regeneration challenges in the Romanian municipality of Săcele.
