Since its foundation the European Union has gradually developed policies that are aimed at achieving increased economic and social cohesion. This book examines the coming of age of the most recent of these, the concept of territorial cohesion. With this book Andreas Faludi brings together years of research and expertise into a definitive single volume on spatial planning at the European level.

Since its foundation the European Union has gradually developed policies that are aimed at achieving increased economic and social cohesion. This book examines the most recent of these, the concept of territorial cohesion. Territorial cohesion is the pursuit of balanced development, competitiveness, sustainable development, and good governance. These concerns are most readily addressed by the formulation of spatial strategies under the umbrella of spatial planning, that brings together a multitude of public and private actors in a process that requires cohesion, coherence and co-operation. This book traces the development of spatial planning at European level and argues that spatial planning can become a vehicle, not only for territorial cohesion, but for EU policy generally.

This book examines the ‘territorial dimension’ of EU Cohesion Policy, specifically assessing territorial impacts at the various spatial levels, engaging theoretically and empirically with the notion and role of the ‘territorial dimension’ within a strongly fragmented EU policymaking process.

This book fills an existing academic literature gap by providing a sound and synthetic analysis on the process of European Territorial Cooperation over the last 30 years. This follows from the support from the former EU INTERREG Community Initiative, since 1989, later transformed into the second main goal of EU Cohesion Policy, by 2007: European Territorial Cooperation - ECT. In order to present the ECT process in a more comprehensive manner, and to be the main literature reference regarding this process in the decades to come, this book is divided into four different sections and 12 chapters. The first section summarizes the main impacts and added-value from ETC experiences while proposing the elevation of the ETC goals within EU Cohesion Policies. The second section addresses the process of cross-border cooperation, and namely its impact in reducing border obstacles and supporting ever growing number of cross-border entities. The third section elaborates on the second most important ETC process (transnational cooperation) with a similar approach. Finally, a last section debates the future scenarios for this process in Europe.

This study examines some of the evolving challenges faced by EU regional policy in light of enlargement and assesses some of the approaches and trends in terms of territorial development policy and practice. The chapters reflect on the diversity of approaches to spatial planning and the politics of policy formation.

Discussing the ongoing and future challenges of EU Cohesion Policy, this book critically addresses the economic, social and territorial challenges at the heart of the EU’s policy. It identifies the multifaceted and dynamic nature of the policy as well as the cohesions goal interlinkage with other policies and considers unresolved questions of strategic importance in territorial governance, urban and regional inequalities, and social aspects and wellbeing.

European Union policies are intertwined with all sectors of public administration and governance in the member states, including spatial, urban and regional planning. Legal regulations like the Natura 2000 Directives, funding programmes associated with EU Cohesion Policy or strategies such as the Territorial Agenda 2030 all leave their mark on planning – yet with considerably different effects in Europe’s cities and regions. This book serves as a guide to navigate the connection points between EU policies and spatial planning by introducing the logics of EU policymaking and European spatial planning, outlining the most important EU policies with relevance for spatial planning and presenting examples, from Austria and Finland, of how EU policies are applied in domestic contexts. By exploring the Europeanisation of spatial planning ‘from within’, the book acknowledges how differential ideas about what spatial planning is and what role the EU plays therein shape the actualised impacts of EU policies. By providing a comprehensive perspective on the relevance of the European Union for spatial planning, this book is ideal for students, academics and administrators who want to grasp how the EU shapes and affects planning practice in Europe’s cities and regions.