There is a strong international dimension to spatial planning as European integration strengthens interconnections, development and decision-making across national and regional borders. EU policies in areas such as environment, transport, agriculture and regional policy have far-reaching effects on spatial development patterns and planning procedures. Planners in the EU are now routinely engaged in cooperation across national borders to share and devise effective ways of intervening in the way our cities, towns and rural areas develop. Written for students, academics, practitioners and researchers of spatial planning and related disciplines, this book is essential reading for everybody interested in engaging with the European dimension of spatial planning and territorial governance. Exploring spatial development trends and their influence on planning, the actions of the EU from a planning perspective, and the territorial impacts of the Community's sector policies, this book is an invaluable insight into the outcomes of European spatial planning in practice.
This second edition provides an updated and comprehensive overview of spatial development and policies in Europe, and now includes discussion of the Eurozone crisis and its influence on planning, the European Union Cohesion policy, the climate change agenda, energy policy, and ESPON.