Balanced and polycentric development of the European territory is a key challenge of territorial development and cohesion policy. ESPON has already paid considerable attention to the geographical spread of urban and economic activity throughout the European territory. This includes among else the applied research projects on cities and urban agglomerations, the roles of cities in territorial development, secondary growth poles, and development potentials in different types of areas. The results and evidence from these projects needs to be complemented with further research and additional evidence on the functional roles of small and medium-sized towns and how they contribute to the development of their territorial context and bring added value to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Achievements: Reports:Final Report - Main Report PDF Final Report - Scientific Report PDF Final Report - Case Study Belgium PDF Final Report - Case Study Czech Republic PDF Final Report - Case Study Cyprus PDF Final Report - Case Study France PDF Final Report - Case Study Italy PDF Final Report - Case Study Poland PDF Final Report - Case Study Slovenia PDF Final Report - Case Study Spain PDF Final Report - Case Study Sweden PDF Final Report - Case Study UK PDF Draft Final Report PDF Interim Report - Main Report PDF Interim Report - Annex 1 References PDF Interim Report - Annex 2 Polish Case Study PDF Interim Report - Annex 3 Town Typologies PDF Interim Report - Annex 4 Socio-economic Overview PDF Interim Report - Annex 5 Policy Overview PDF Inception Report PDF Project specifications PDF http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_AppliedResearch/town.html