This article builds on the Interreg WaVE project implemented between 2019 and 2023.
WaVE stands for “Water-linked Heritage Valorization by Developing an Ecosystemic Approach.” This project entailed knowledge transfer and close collaboration between five diverse European lo-cations – Breda in the Netherlands, Aarhus in Denmark, Ravenna in Italy, Alicante province in Spain and Ister-Granum Euroregion across the Slovak-Hungarian border – supported by Delft University of Technology (knowledge provider) and two companies, CertiMac (communication) and Grants Europe (project management).
The project aimed at promoting an integrated adap-tive reuse of water-linked cultural heritage sites for driving wider ecosystemic changes toward more sustainable regional and urban futures. One of the hallmarks of the project was the em-phasis on including a broad range of regional stakeholders in a process of co-creating action plans to valorize this heritage.
The stakeholders involved included representatives of diverse re-gional public organizations related to planning, tourism, water management and heritage valor-ization, including museums, academic institu-tions, local businesses and civil society groups.
