SAUL (Sustainable and Accessible Urban Spaces) seeks to take forward a IIC project (New Methods in Socially Compatible Development of Urban Landscapes) to the development phase, to tackle the question of the role of socially-inclusive spaces in metropolitan regions, as well as the themes of regional identity and learning in planning cultures and partnerships. The objective of the action project, which involves eight partners from four Member States, is to develop and test a range of practical solutions formulated through a transnational partnership to the challenges described in four key areas. It aims to i) recognise and demonstrate the vital role of socially-inclusive spaces in the sustainable development of the metropolitan region; ii) promote regional identity, and the importance of the regional dimension within spatial planning in the NWE; iii) establish more effective planning through transnational partnerships by moving towards a new planning culture; and iv) develop a transnational and regional process of learning. 7 The SAUL project comprises several transnational teams charged with the joint planning, design and implementation of a range of demonstration projects. Encompassing 12 investments across 6 regions, the project partners intend for their newly-tested strategies to be taken up as integral parts of national regional strategies