European Spatial Research and Planning

With the publication of European Spatial Research and Planning, the Lincoln Institute adds a third volume to its series of investigations of spatial planning, research, and policy in Europe, all of them edited by Andreas Faludi. The previous titles are Territorial Cohesion and the European Model of Society (2007) and European Spatial Planning (2002). Each of these books examines the European experience with spatial planning, with an expectation that it may hold lessons for land policy in the United States.

This new book taps into the treasure trove of research that is ESPON, the European Spatial Planning Observation Network, which has yielded a plethora of studies on the real and anticipated outcomes of European territorial policy. The ESPON research underpinning this volume reveals that policy goals such as sustainable economic growth and territorial cohesion have far-reaching consequences across sectors and geography. The ESPON corpus provides the chapter authors with the means to examine developments at the intersection of research and policy.

As with the previous two volumes, the approach to this book began with inviting a select group of people from all over Europe to give papers on their experience with various aspects of ESPON’s work. The seminar took place at the University of Luxembourg in May 2007.

The chapters provide a comprehensive view of how the search for evidence to support the agenda of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP)—now the Territorial Agenda—has proceeded, what the evidence has been in some key areas, what the implications are, and what other conclusions could have been drawn. The authors also demonstrate that a learning exercise like ESPON can contribute to shaping a political agenda, which could perhaps serve as a source of inspiration for fellow planners across the Atlantic.

Perhaps the most striking area of difference between Europe and the United States in the context of territorial policy has to do with demography. Europe is facing a population deficit by mid-century of the same order as the expected increase in U.S. population in that period. While it is true that the United States has by no means come to grips with its own immigration issues, it is perhaps still fair to observe that immigration policy will continue to contribute significantly to the tension between Europe’s continental vision, and its place within a greater regional neighborhood, and the wider world.

The book features more than 30 full-color maps and numerous other figures that illustrate the concepts and trends discussed. Many of these images were developed directly through ESPON research.

About the Editor

Andreas Faludi is professor of spatial policy systems in Europe at the OTB Research Institute for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.