Regional Development and Spatial Planning in an Enlarged European Union

Neil Adams is Senior Lecturer in Spatial Planning at London South Bank University, UK, and his main interests are European spatial planning at the supra-national, national and regional level. He was previously employed as a consultant based in Brussels and has extensive experience of regional development and spatial planning at national, regional and local levels in the Baltic States. Neil was also Project Co-ordinator for the Interreg IIIc GRIDS project that provided the inspiration for this book. Jeremy Alden is Professor of International Planning Studies in the School of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University, Wales, U.K. He is Lead Partner for the INTERREG IIIc project on regional development and spatial planning sponsored by the European Commission during 2004-5. He has published widely on regional development and spatial planning issues in the European Union. Neil Harris is lecturer in Planning at the School of City and Regional Planning in Cardiff University. His interests cover the statutory planning system and new approaches to the development of spatial plans in Britain at the national and regional scales. He has advised the Welsh Assembly Government on its approach to the preparation of a national spatial planning framework.

• I: New Approaches to Regional Development and Spatial Planning; 1: Introduction; 2: Regional Development and Spatial Planning; II: The Evolving European Union Context for Regional Development and Spatial Planning; 3: The Europeanization of Spatial Planning; 4: Spatial Planning in the Economic Core of Europe: The Transition from Land-use Planning to Spatial Structure Planning in Flanders; III: Regional Development and Spatial Planning in the Celtic Periphery; 5: Increasing and Spreading Prosperity: Regional Development, Spatial Planning and the Enduring ‘Prosperity Gap' in Wales; 6: Quality and Connectivity: The Continuing Tradition of Strategic Spatial Planning in Scotland; 7: Balanced Regional Development and the National Spatial Strategy: Addressing the Challenges of Economic Growth and Spatial Change in Ireland; IV: Regional Development and Spatial Planning in the Baltics; 8: National Spatial Strategies in the Baltic States; 9: Barriers to Regional Development in the New Member States: The Latvian Experience; 10: Towards Balanced Development in Latvia: The Experience of the Latgale Region; 11: The Response to Regional Disparities in Lithuania; V: Key Challenges for the Future; 12: Sustainable Development: Reality or Myth?; 13: Reviewing Experience of Regional Development and Spatial Planning in Europe

'Over the past decade there have been a number of important theoretical developments in our understanding of the continued significance of subnational territories within an ever more closely integrated European and global market. Regional Development and Spatial Planning in an Enlarged European Union is an up to date collection of essays that begins to chart the development of the different forms of subnational spatial development strategies across the continent. Students, analysts and commentators of European studies, planning, economic development, and environmental studies will find the collection to be timely and essential reading.' Mark Tewdwr-Jones, University College London, UK 'Bringing together both conceptual and evidence-based analysis, the book provides a well grounded, open and critical discussion about the potential and factual contribution of spatial planning to balanced regional development in different European contexts. In doing so, the book allows for illuminating insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the multi-faceted "Europeanization" of spatial planning and makes very useful, and certainly pleasant, reading for all those concerned with spatial planning and regional development.' Artur da Rosa Pires, University of Aveiro, Portugal '...some interesting insights into the value of spatial planning. The chapters on the case studies of nations and regions will no doubt mean that the book will be of detailed interest for ongoing research on planning and urban and regional development in those particular national settings.' Environment and Planning B 'Regional Development and Spatial Planning in an enlarged European Union extends the literature on spatial planning in Europe in two ways. First, it consolidates the debate about the utility and practicality of spatial planning in promoting a cohesive and balanced regional development in the expanded EU. Second- and this is its greatest contribution- it provides a comparative perspective on the possibilities and challenges associated with spatial planning.' Association of American Geographers