Spatial planning: implementation, governance, finance and regulations

This ESPON workshop is the fourth in a series of Transnational Outreach events in West Europe (Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) in 2018 and 2019 examining new developments in national and regional spatial planning. By linking the five events together, participants of all five events will gain an excellent overview of both key issues in current spatial planning theory and practice and related ESPON research.

The first seminar in Paris in March 2018 examined the framing of the new SRADDET ‘Schéma régional d’aménagement, de développement durable et d’égalité des territoires’ (Regional planning framework for sustainable development and equality of territorial development). The Dublin seminar in May 2018 examined Regional Spatial Strategies and multi-level cooperation with specific reference to the recently approved National Planning Framework under Project Ireland 2040. The Luxembourg workshop examined public participation processes and how to integrate the outcomes of these processes in spatial planning strategies.

The Brussels workshop will examine the challenges based around the implementation of spatial strategies. The three regions of Belgium: Brussels Capital, Flanders and Wallonia are each responsible for the elaboration and implementation of their spatial planning strategies. Each region has been developing a spatial strategy over the past years and each region is now on the point of political approval of the strategy. Thus, the three regions are already preparing themselves for the implementation of this Spatial Policy Plans.

These plans will engender changes in current policy such as the radical change in the use of space in Flanders where the new spatial policy aims to reduce the use of space and land uptake. To reach these goals a mentality shift is needed, not only for policy makers at different levels but also for the public. Thus, one of the objectives of the workshop will be learning how to accomplish this mentality shift and what set of actions are needed to give substance to the implementation of new Spatial Policy Plans.  

The workshop will be an opportunity to learn and exchange views and best practice from experts from neighbouring countries and regions and from the European Commission (DG Regio) as well as ESPON research

Brussels, Belgium

Perspective Brussels