Spatial Planning System Research Articles

A co-design prototyping approach for building a Precinct Planning Tool

Abstract. As the world is becoming increasingly urbanized there is a need for more sustainability-oriented planning of our cities. Policy and decision-makers are interested in the use of evidenced based approaches and tools that will support collaborative planning. There are a number of tools in the domain of spatial planning and decision support systems that have been built over the last few decades but the uptake and use of these tools is somewhat limited. In the context of Australia there is significant urban growth occurring across the major cities and a need to provision planners and developers with precinct planning tools to assist in managing infill and the densification of the existing urban fabric in a carbon constrained economy. In this paper we describe the development of a new precinct planning tool known as the Envision Scenario Planner (ESP), which is being applied initially in two cities, Melbourne and Perth to assist in the urban design and planning of Greyfield sites. To set the scene in this paper we firstly provide a brief review of the existing state of play of visualization and modelling tools available to urban planners in Australia. The focus on the paper will be to introduce an iterative co-design prototyping approach for developing a best practice precinct planning support tool (ESP) from an earlier tool known as ENVISION. The first step of the approach is an exposure workshop with experts to refine the proposed tool workflow and its functionality. Subsequent iterations of the prototype are then exposed to larger audiences for validation and testing. In this paper we will describe the process and the preliminary findings in implementing the first phase of this iterative co-design prototype approach.

M. Reimer, P. Getimis and H. Blotevogel: Spatial planning systems and practices in Europe: a comparative perspective on continuity and changes

There are numerous comparative studies on European spatial planning systems (CEC 1997; Knieling and Othengrafen 2009; Newman and Thornley 1996). Why do we need one more, and how does this one differ from the rest? This book compares planning systems in twelve European countries: Belgium (Flanders), the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands, Turkey, and the UK. Each country is presented in a separate chapter. The authorship comprises a mixture not only of professors, but also of planning professionals and young academics. Overall, the quality of the chapters on planning systems is very high. Some contributions are stronger in terms of theory (such as the description of the Greek system); others focus more on a case-study approach. The description of each planning system follows a similar structure: a short introduction reviewing the context of the various systems, a brief elaboration on the basic features of the planning system in question, an identification of pressing problems and challenges, descriptions of ‘‘dimensions and directions’’ of changes, and a conclusion. In the first chapter of the book, the editors introduce this analytical framework. In the conclusion of the book, the editors reflect on the diversity of the different spatial planning systems. This structure is very much in line with other comparisons of planning systems. Reimer and his colleagues claim that their book differs because they pursue a different approach than that of the ‘‘Newman and Thornley tradition’’ (Reimer et al. 2014, p. 3). This tradition of comparative research focuses on legal-administrative framework conditions. Reimer and his colleagues criticize this tradition because it overlooks many issues that characterize spatial planning in practice. However, most chapters in this book place a strong focus on legal-administrative issues in the planning systems: institutions, laws, and

Role of Urban–Rural Linkages in Promoting Sustainable Urbanization

The interconnection between rural and urban areas is growing. The large-scale urbanization and the implications of this type of development on rural areas calls for a renewed attention in fostering linkages between the urban, peri-urban and rural contexts. The limited land resources creates intense competition for different uses, including urbanization, protection of the environment and the improvements over land. This paper argues for the imperative to foster an effective interaction between urban and rural areas. Using selected case studies and learning interventions in the urban–rural continuum from various organizations, this paper argues that there is a need for strengthening partnerships, research and knowledge development on developing land and spatial planning systems and tools for a balanced urban and rural development. This paper presents the rationale for the renewed interest in the issue of urban–rural linkages. It also highlights the findings of the literature review and various organization positions and interventions on urban–rural linkages. Finally, this paper suggests the possible priority areas for enhancing urban–rural linkages. 农村和城市地区之间的相互联系越来越密切。大规模的城镇化和这种类型的开发对农村的影响正在呼吁重新重视培育城市、郊区和农村大环境之间的联系。有限的土地资源造成了不同用途之间的激烈竞争，包括城市化、环境保护和土地改善。本文认为必须促进城乡之间的有效互动。通过有选择的案例研究，并学习各种组织在城乡连续性中的干预，本文认为有必要加强土地开发和空间规划体系及其工具之间的协作、研究和学科发展，从而获得均衡的城乡发展。本文提出了在城乡联系问题上的新的研究焦点的理论依据。本文同时也强调了文献综述和各种组织对城乡联系的定位和干预的结果。最后，为了加强城乡联系，本文提出了可能的优先区域。

Pathways towards the integration of periurban agrarian ecosystems into the spatial planning system

The potential of periurban agrarian ecosystems is recognized as one of the cornerstones for improving urban sustainability; however, this potential has been disregarded in spatial planning and decision making. The main goal of the PAEc-SP project was to assess the feasibility of integrating periurban agricultural areas into spatial planning by developing a viable ecosystem services-based methodology. The research unfolded along three axes: i) mapping ecosystem services in periurban areas, distinguishing between the current state and the future potential by applying a set of indicators; ii) analyzing the regulatory framework, identifying gaps in the consideration of agrarian ecosystem services; and iii) analyzing the perceptions of these areas held by local actors. Provisioning services (food) are widely recognized by actors and plans, but this leads to weak protection. Cultural services (identity, recreation) are also recognized by all actors and addressed by local urban planning, though this is not connected to farming practices. Regulating services (CO2 storage, water quality) are barely addressed by spatial planning and actors do not value them either. Supporting services (biodiversity) are mostly associated with natural areas. Most technicians are reluctant to changes, while new farmers and civil society demand a new holistic approach. The reluctant attitude to change of some actors and the inadequate understanding of ecosystem services, render it imperative to adopt a comprehensive approach through a participatory process of urban planning. Mapping ecosystem services, calculations, and graphs are a valuable communication tool both in discussing the consequences of the loss of agrarian ecosystems with different actors and in planning future scenarios.

Researching Social Services of General Interest: An Analytical Framework Derived from Underlying Policy Systems

This paper discusses Social Services of General Interest, a political term of the European Union, which lies at the heart of the European Model of Society and Cohesion concepts. How and why is the organization and provision of services across Europe rooted in, and shaped by, the prevailing national constitutional components of social welfare and spatial planning systems? A high degree of interrelation between these two systems is confirmed and Social Services of General Interest are detected and conceptualized as a substantiation of components of both systems. In a concluding step, an analytical framework is introduced which enables us to research Social Services of General Interest from different angles for the purpose of deploying promising policy solutions.

Urban Land Uses and Smart Mobility

The object of this work consists of the will to define a renewed relationship between spatial planning and transport systems, which focuses attention on road safety, whereas to date the studies on this relationship have mainly examined the transport impacts on land use. Therefore, in addition to the analysis of the physical characteristics of road infrastructure, there is a need to examine which urban land uses can generate points of risk, both in terms of attraction of vehicles and pedestrian flows as well as in terms of concentration of vulnerable road users, in order to organize a complete information and telecommunication system for road safety. In short, considering a specific testing ground, some urban land uses have been located, with relative dimensional analysis and characterization of access conditions in typological-functional terms: services (schools, healthcare structures, sports facilities); tertiary/production industry (wholesale, shopping centres, industrial sites); tourism sector (hotels, resorts, historical and cultural heritage). The collection of information, corresponding to mapping of prospective risk factors, represented the basis for the entry of specific data within a wider reference database.

Not out of the woods yet : Spatial planning (de)regulation under the Coalition Government

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition agreement presented in 2010 included the announcement of an intention to proceed with a radical reform of the spatial planning system in England, as part of a broad ambition to reduce what various government officials represented as a “burden of bureaucracy” undermining economic growth. Major reforms have indeed been undertaken over the last three years, with the introduction of the Localism Act 2011, a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013. The Government has also put forward proposals for a ‘biodiversity offsetting’ scheme which it argues has the potential to simultaneously promote environmental conservation and boost the economy by speeding up decision-making in the planning system. This paper proposes to examine some of the debates generated by these recent developments in spatial planning policy in England, focusing on questions relating to environmental conservation issues.

Adaptive Capacities of Spatial Planning in the Context of Climate Change in the European Alps

This study delivers empirical evidence regarding the adaptive capacities of spatial planning systems and related factors both supporting and hindering climate change adaptation in the European Alps. Many international and national adaptation strategies consider spatial planning an important policy field for climate change adaptation. Existing adaptation studies, which focus on spatial planning, support these expectations but deliver only a small amount of empirical evidence regarding the specific capacities of spatial planning that support or hinder climate change adaptation. The objectives of this study are firstly to assess how climate change adaptation is addressed in spatial planning systems, and secondly to identify the adaptive capacities of spatial planning to climate change. The study focuses on spatial planning systems in the European Alps and builds upon a content analysis of spatial planning legislation and instruments, as well as an expert survey administered to planning authorities. The findings suggest two approaches for building adaptive capacities: enhancing access to relevant climate information and professional support for spatial planning authorities, and mainstreaming adaptation within the institutional framework of spatial planning.

Miejskie dokumenty planistyczne wobec zmian funkcjonalno‑przestrzennych w obszarze dawnego Wielkiego Krakowa

The article assesses the usefulness of documents in the field of spatial planning for change management in heritage cities. The analysis was carried out on the basis of the Cracow borders of Greater Cracow, which were created by the inclusion of the neighbouring municipalities in the early twentieth century. Today, this space is the core of the city. This implies certain consequences associated with investment pressure in a space that is already heavily invested in. The author of the study shows that despite the many drawbacks that the system of spatial planning in Poland has, it should be possible to take maximum advantage of legal solutions to direct changes in the valuable areas. The analysis indicates those aspects of spatial policy which should be particularly taken into account in heritage cities. The thesis is supported with specific examples of the consequences of actions that were taken - or not taken - in the past.

Sytuacja planistyczna w województwie małopolskim

Spatial planning is the major tool used in spatial development policies. Proactive policies facilitate the identification of spatial development trends, spatial development policies as well as implementation procedures. Spatial development policies adopted by municipalities in 1995 formed the basis for a comprehensive system of managing territorial government entities. The comprehensive approach taken by local governments to municipality management, coupled with cooperation with local communities, has lead to municipalities’ sustained growth and sustainable development. Spatial planning in Poland is regulated by the Act of 27 March 2003 on spatial planning and development. Pursuant to its provisions, the spatial planning system is implemented at the municipality, regional and national levels. Responsibility for spatial development is vested in the hands of municipalities. At that level, the legal framework for spatial planning and development is based on the analysis of spatial development conditions and trends as well as local spatial development plans. The paper presents the efforts made by Małopolska’s local authorities in launching local spatial development programmes. The analysis covers 182 municipalities located within the region’s administrative boundaries. The paper refers to the statistical analyses published in the annual Report on the status and conditions of municipality planning processes, prepared by the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). The analysis of the status of spatial management in Małopolska’s municipalities is carried out for two years: 2004, when the Ministry of Infrastructure began collecting spatial development data at the municipality level, and 2011, the last year for which research was conducted.

From reaction to initiative: Potentials of contributive participation

Participation in spatial planning has been studied exten‐ sively in the past decades, but many cases of spatial plan‐ ning have nonetheless seen a gap between decision‐mak‐ ers and local residents. This is why participation in spatial planning has become a classic research question of many urban planning–related sciences. The greatest focus has been on cases of participation that present some kind of reaction to plans or actions, whereas far less attention has been given to cases of participation based on initiatives and the search for new content for underused or decay‐ ing areas. Such cases usually start with initiatives for the new use of particular places and often result in physical changes to these places. This article defines various types of local initiatives, and it especially studies the distinction between reactionary and contributive local initiatives and relates them to the notion of community. The article is based on an analysis of two particular cases. The differ‐ ences in these two cases represent a foundation for the article’s conclusions, which emphasises the potentials for stimulating contributive participation. The conclusion in‐ cludes recommendations for the spatial planning system to become more open to participation in terms of revi‐ talising underused spaces because such space has been increasing during the economic downturn. The complex and inefficient system of spatial planning is turning away many creative initiatives.

The needs and aspirations of residents of mountain areas as implemented in spatial planning

System planning based on specific research and analyses allows one to make a diagnosis of spatial phenomena occurring in a particular area. The main goal of spatial planning is to mitigate conflicts and create spatial framework for satisfying social needs. Spatial planning can therefore be regarded as the best tool of providing the conditions in which the needs and aspirations of the people are met and fulfilled. Together with spatial order and sustainable development spatial planning ensure attractive space, which in the competitive development of cities and regions becomes the most important matter. Many specialists considered this condition to be essential for the economic prosperity of the city and the region. Moreover, the spatial design and arrangement clearly define the level of a society and civilization. After outlining the spatial planning system in Poland and presenting the conditions for land use planning in mountainous areas the article refers to the social aspirations, conditions of the demographic situation and requirements of the economic activity. Then an attempt was made to articulate the fundamental problems and conflicts that occur in mountain areas. Finally, tasks and options to mitigate these conflicts and ways to meet the needs of people in the planning were presented. Mountainous areas with their characteristics make it necessary to carry out the spatial planning work not only locally but also at the regional level. This work is usually preceded by detailed studies that can provide the necessary information to improve the economic development of the area, while maintaining the existing natural and cultural environment. This will more than likely increase the chance of spatial transformations in the region.

The post-1994 South African spatial planning system and Bill of Rights: A meaningful and mutually beneficial fit?

With a new planning system taking shape, and a new Bill of Rights embodied in a transformative Constitution having been introduced in South Africa in 1994, this article grapples with the dual questions as to whether the new spatial planning system fits within the spirit of the Bill of Rights, and the Bill of Rights assists the new spatial planning system in the realisation of its objectives. As a prequel to the engagement with these questions, a brief overview of the events leading to institution of the Bill of Rights and its contents is provided. This is followed by a brief historical overview of the creation of the South African spatial planning system and a summary of its key features. These features can be reduced to the following basic components: (1) meaningful participation in all aspects of spatial planning; (2) an open, inclusive and just decision-making process where information is readily available; (3) recognition of religion and culture and equal treatment in application and decision-making; (4) an awareness of environmental issues; and (5) the significance of property and housing. The way in which these components are addressed in the Bill of Rights and other parts of the Constitution provides the starting point to determine the extent to which there is a meaningful and mutually beneficial fit between the planning system and the Bill of Rights.

Romanian Spatial Planning System: Post-Communist Dynamics of Change and Europeanization Processes

This paper addresses the post-communist history of Romania's spatial planning system with the two-fold aim of describing its evolution and identifying the role played by the EU in this process. Taking as a starting point the contradiction between the formal goals of Romanian spatial planning and the actual spatial development patterns, the paper proposes a contextualized analysis of the system's changes. It complements the focus on the formal technical dimension with a look at the broader socio-political context, driving forces and path dependencies. It identifies five episodes within this time frame and argues that they were catalysed by factors outside the immediate technical dimension of spatial planning, such as the changes in the Romanian political scene, the dynamics in the governance and planning culture, the evolution of the economy, the actual development patterns and most notably, by the process of Europeanization. While often the role of the EU is taken for granted as a general positive force for Romania, the paper makes instead the distinction between the use of Europeanization as a rhetorical external driving force and the real changes brought about by the process.

Spheres of public conversation: Experiences in strategic environmental assessment

This paper draws on earlier research, a national review of Scottish SEA practice and a survey of practitioners and stakeholders engaged in SEA and spatial planning in one Scottish city-region, to explore claims being made in the academic literature for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a tool for deliberative plan-making. We consider whether there is evidence that Scottish SEA practice is helping create more inclusive plan-making processes in light of recent legislative changes, thereby fulfilling one of the expectations of Scottish Government. The macro analysis found that although there are opportunities for stakeholders to engage in the Scottish SEA process the level in practice is extremely low, a finding which mirrors experience in England and elsewhere. The more detailed micro analysis reveals a more nuanced picture within the spatial planning system, however, suggesting the existence of two distinct spheres of public conversations, one characterised by active dialogue about the environmental effects of alternative strategies amongst public sector stakeholders and the other involving non-governmental stakeholders and community groups in a much more limited way. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible explanations for this outcome, concerning asymmetric incentive structures and the application of power, and a consideration of the implications in relation to the competing discourses of SEA.

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan