Abstract
ABSTRACT Many countries use spatial planning instruments to coordinate interests in land use and influence land-use change. In Switzerland, the cantonal structure plan (kantonale Richtplan) serves as the main spatial planning instrument at the cantonal level. Coordinating land-use interests and influencing land-use change requires ‘regional governance capacities’. This paper presents an analytical concept of regional governance capacities in spatial planning using the policy arrangement approach and drawing from the spatial planning implementation and evaluation literature. The canton of Zurich, with its embedded cases on the regional and local levels, serves as the case study for testing the analytical concept. Empirical evidence from qualitative interviews, observations and document analyses reveals a coexistence of various regional governance capacities within the canton of Zurich. Whereas regional governance capacities regarding the promotion of inner development in urban areas emerge as high, the results unveil mixed regional governance capacities when it comes to coordinating transport and land-use planning. To make judgements about regional governance capacities in spatial planning, it is essential to observe various spatial challenges, spatial scales and local examples.
Highlights
Prosperity and economic growth have led to a significant amount of land consumption and sprawl in many highly developed countries over the last several decades
This paper presents an analytical concept of regional governance capacities in spatial planning using the policy arrangement approach and drawing from the spatial planning implementation and evaluation literature
Whereas regional governance capacities regarding the promotion of inner development in urban areas emerge as high, the results unveil mixed regional governance capacities when it comes to coordinating transport and land-use planning
Summary
Prosperity and economic growth have led to a significant amount of land consumption and sprawl in many highly developed countries over the last several decades. Brody and Highfield (2005) identified a positive correlation between the stringency of spatial planning instruments and their efficacy, whereas Dawkins and Nelson (2003) did not find such a positive correlation. These diverging results do not surprise, considering the large variety of factors that influence land-use change (Pagliarin, 2018; Weilenmann et al, 2017)
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