Polycentric Settlement Structures as a Precondition for Urban and Rural Partnership in the Alpine—Adriatic Euroregion

Abstract

Ten regional authorities in charge for spatial planning from five states, four of them EU members (Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia), joined the Interreg III B Project “CONSPACE” (Common Network for Spatial Planning and Implementation) in 2002. Following the ESDP policy options the project partners intented to develop a common understanding of a regional development perspective with a specific focus on (1) the polycentric structure of the region, (2) its natural and cultural heritage and (3) the interconnection of its regional transport networks to the TEN and TINA corridors. To develop an understanding for the potentials of polycentric development in the CONSPACE- macro region the project partners elaborated on the differences to the classic central places concepts which is in use in all planning systems of the project partners, and which intends to provide a specific territory with a pre-defined set of central goods to secure a pre-defined level of services. The rules behind are social rules and the implications on policy decisions are to correct failures of the market. In contrast polycentric regional development aims at optimized development of locations and facilities to improve the competitiveness of a region by regional policy decisions, competitive actions of stake holders and a cross-sectoral planning approach. The rules behind are market rules and the expected results depend on effects described by “new economic geography”. The resulting functional and locational differentiation makes the decisive difference to the classical central places concept. At the same this approach requires strong cooperation of functionally differentiated locations over administrative boundaries which are of high relevance for many spatial planning instruments as well as for political decision-making. The findings and conclusions of the research activities were consolidated in the “CONSAPCE perspective”, which collects proposals for the elements of a strategic action plan and in one several fields of actions addresses the strategic tasks for joint polycentric development.