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The intertwinement of Spatial Planning and Water Management in Europe
The European Union has a strong focus on increasing competitiveness, social, economic and territorial cohesion by stimulating regional development in Europe. Even though the Commission has no formal competence on spatial planning, perspectives on the spatial development such as the European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) and more recently the Territorial Agenda (2007) illustrate that integrated assessment of European challenges are desired. The Water Framework Directive (2000) and the recently amended directive on the assessment and management of Floods (2007) are part of an integrated approach in European water management. Although it has formal competence in the Union, water management lacks a spatial dimension to implement and to synergize the objective with other sectoral policies.
– opportunities of territorial cohesion in regional development –
This research searches for the intertwinement of spatial planning and water management and the benefits that arise for regional development. It uses the concept of territorial cohesion to stimulate territorial development in European regions and illustrate that integration can stimulate sustainable development, increase economic prosperity and secure the realization of sectoral policy objectives.
Climate change is seen as one of the driving forces for further integration between spatial planning and water management in Europe. This global challenge offers a ‘window of opportunities’ for public and private organizations to increase resilience by enhancing regional adaptive capacity with the intertwinement of spatial planning and water management. Two case studies were conducted of polycentric functional cooperation between urban nodes where intertwinement could benefit regional development; Øresund region and the Glasgow-Edinburgh region. It can be concluded there is no particular role for spatial planning and water management in both regions and limited efforts are made to utilize the opportunities.
The research concludes that even though there are discrepancies between the cooperation and coordination of spatial planning and water management, the concept of territorial cohesion at the subsidiary level offers opportunities for the intertwinement of spatial planning and water management in European regions.
Key-words:
Territorial cohesion, water management, spatial planning, regional development, climate change, adaptation strategies
Please cite as:
Biesbroek, G.R. (2007) Intertwinement of Spatial Planning and Water Management in Europe –opportunities of territorial cohesion in regional development, unpublished MSc thesis, Land Use Planning Group Wageningen University
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The full version of the research will be made available after contacting the author
Contact
G.R. (Robbert) Biesbroek, MSc.
Earth System Science and Public Administration and Policy Group
Wageningen University
For further information please contact;
E-mail: Robbert.Biesbroek@wur.nl