The development of new retail locations in green fields far away from urban centres promotes rapid urban sprawl and leads to traffic congestion and environmental problems and contradicts sustainable regional development. The settlement of retail enterprises in city centres can lead to a healthier development structure. The project VITAL CITIES aimed to strengthen polycentric urban systems and to contribute to regional development in CADSES. The VITAL CITIES project focused on promoting settlement of retail trade in city centres. A transnational project team with 22 partners from 7 countries was assembled for VITAL CITIES under the Lead Partnership of the InvestitionsBank des Landes Brandenburg, in which the main stakeholders were represented and jointly worked on solutions applicable at local level. The implementation of the project was supported by the law firm Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz. To establish cooperation structures, to strengthen the control potential of local government authorities and to improve the basis for investment decision-making for inner urban areas, VITAL CITIES gathered a project team, who implemented the following activities: - Carrying out of analyses, studies and surveys at local level, - Carrying out of Retail Trade Forums at local level with high potential speakers, where local conditions were analysed and solutions identified by a transnational team, - Pooling and exchange of experiences illustrated by concrete case studies reflecting different approaches and aspects – e.g. retail trade in cross border regions. Expected Results: nia and Germany. In this legal investigation the instruments to achieve a sustainable development were demonstrated, - Surveys of consumer behaviour conducted at the local level in selected towns in several countries as well as the analyses of the results, - Informal strategies to strengthen cities in Europe were evaluated, - Elaboration of CURTIS (Comprehensive Urban Retail Trade Improvement Strategy), including the results of all activities in the project, - Signing of the European Charter Network of VITAL CITIES at the Final Conference in Berlin on 12th of May 2006 by representatives from politics and business. The Charter is a commitment expressing the conviction that state regulations alone do not at all adequately cater for modern demands.