Whereas many West European conurbations are already efficient promoters of regional economic development for their surroundings, such so-called lighthouse functions of city-regions still have to be established in the CADSES area. Coherent spatial development following the Lisbon and Gothenburg targets and the strategic guidelines for European Cohesion Policy post-2006 depends on the capacities of city-regions in their role as centres of growth and regional leaders (“lighthouses”).

However, also second-order cities in the CADSES region rely on co-operation with their surroundings to bundle their various approaches of economic development. The cities involved in the projects are surrounded by peripheral regions with significant interactions that are relevant for the economic success of the urban centre. Its exploitation to strengthen their economic capacity and competitiveness as regional motors of growth for their entire region through effective peri-urban co-operation represents the main aim of the CITYREGIO projects.