Wil Zonneveld

What are corridors and what are the issues? Introduction to special issue: the governance of corridors

Abstract Linear concepts such as the corridor have a long history in spatial and urban planning. The recent megacorridor or eurocorridor concept, proposed in the context of discussion on European territorial development, strives to integrate policies on infrastructure, urbanisation and economic development. As is shown by the example of the Netherlands, the corridor concept can count on a hostile reception from spatial planners. As an analytical concept the corridor can hardly be denied its legitimacy. Several urgent policy issues can be attached to corridor developments that together require an improved coordination between policy domains at different spatial levels.

Expansive spatial planning: the new European transnational spatial visions

Spatial planning in Europe has reached new frontiers. The European Spatial Development Perspective covers the entire European Union and, in spite of having an informal, non-binding status, it is creeping into the regulatory frameworks of the European Union. To stimulate cooperation between the Member States of the European Union, including the accession countries, the map of Europe has been divided into a jigsaw puzzle formed by large transnational areas. In three of these areas, spatial visions have been developed. Bearing in mind the enormous spatial diversity in these new European ‘super-regions’ and the great variety in planning systems, it is astonishing that these visions came about in the first place. In this respect they should be welcomed. On the other hand, the way in which they have been prepared could be questioned. Although they contain policy frameworks with an intended impact stretching far beyond the domain of spatial planning, they have basically been written by spatial planners acting alone. And although the mere idea of transnational areas was to a large extent to stimulate novel conceptualizations of the spatial position of countries and regions, the development of spatial concepts has proved to be extremely problematic. This paper looks at spatial visions for three transnational areas: 1) the Central European, Adriatic, Danubian and South Eastern European Space, or CADSES (VISION PLANET); 2) the North Sea Region (NorVision); 3) North-West Europe (NWE Spatial Vision). The analysis of these visions, following a common format, leads to some fundamental conclusions about the various principles on which such visions can be grounded and the architecture of the processes to be followed. The paper aims to contribute to research as well as to policymaking.

A sea of houses: Preserving open space in an urbanised country

Abstract Policies to preserve open space in the Netherlands have evolved over a long period of time. In the interwar period pressure groups were actively trying to put the issue of open space on the political agenda. Their pleas were only partly met. After the Second World War, and as part of the establishment of the welfare state, an intricate planning system emerged serving many goals, a key one being the preservation of open space and therefore the containment of urbanisation. The most well-known policy concept is that of the Green Heart, basically a green belt surrounded and intersected by urban belts. Initially, however, the planning system proved to be not very effective. The period from the end of the 1960s until the end of the 1990s was characterised by efforts to improve the effectiveness of the planning system, also in terms of preserving open space. Recent years have become critical in terms of policies towards green belts. Central government has taken the decision to fundamentally change its role in spatial planning, partly handing over the responsibility for policies preserving open space to lower levels of government. Recently the issue of preserving open space returned to the agenda. According to many what is happening is ‘messing up the landscape’. What is called for is strong and effective guidance by central government. However, it is unlikely that a return of the restrictive policies of the 1980s and 1990s will be seen.

Regional and transnational spatial planning1: problems today, perspectives for the future

This introductory contribution presents some results of the EURBANET project, dealing with European urban networks in the framework of the INTERREG IIC programme of the North‐western Metropolitan Area (NWMA). This project was conducted between 2000 and 2001 by researchers of Delft University of Technology, the University of Glasgow, the University of Dortmund, the Catholic University of Leuven and the University of Nijmegen. The central objective of the EURBANET project was to explore the role of polynucleated urban regions in the reinforcement of the competitive strength and quality of life in the NWMA, as a contribution to transnational spatial planning in the NWMA. Four polynuclear urban regions are involved: Randstad Holland, the Flemish Diamond, the RheinRuhr Area and Central Scotland (Glasgow‐Edinburgh region). One of the conclusions is that it is necessary to move between scales: from the European Union to national spatial policies (and vice versa), between national policies and regional spatial policies and between regional and urban spatial policies. At each scale, specific demands for spatial planning policies in polynuclear urban regions are becoming increasingly relevant. This is a challenge for spatial policies and policy domains like infrastructure policy, transport policy, housing policy, economic and environmental policy. We present an analysis of how polycentricity has become central to recent discussions on European and north‐west European spatial and economic planning. We launch a spatial network approach to integrate spatial policies. These wide perspectives contrast heavily with the current less satisfactory practice of spatial planning on the level of urban networks and transnational governance.

Multiple Visioning: New Ways of Constructing Transnational Spatial Visions

In many parts of Europe, but also at the level of the European Union and the much higher level of the Council of Europe, the creation of spatial visions is now underway. However, these spatial visions often lack an essential ingredient of spatial planning, namely maps. This omission may seem paradoxical, because maps are essential for communicating ideas with a spatial dimension. The vast spatial and political complexities at transnational and European levels are addressed by elementary processes of visioning and mapmaking. Because maps are social constructs, no single, optimal map will exist. Transnational visioning therefore implies the creation of multiple maps and multiple visions.

The Europeanization of Dutch National Spatial Planning: an Uphill Battle

Abstract The Netherlands has been part of the European integration process from the early days. It has an open economy and has benefited greatly from being a “natural” entrance to North-West Europe. It should not come as a surprise that Dutch spatial planners, mostly officials of the National Spatial Planning Agency, have played a major role during the past decades in discussions on a European planning agenda. They contributed greatly to the making of the European Spatial Development Perspective. Local and regional governments are enthusiastically participating in the various EU programmes on cross-border and transnational cooperation in the field of spatial planning. But how does this relate to domestic spatial planning policies? The country is maintaining one of the most elaborate and sophisticated systems of national spatial planning and policy. One would expect, knowing the participation in European policy programs and discussions on territorial governance, that Dutch national spatial planning policies do have a strong European inclination. This is not the case though. This paper examines to what extent Dutch national spatial planning is influenced by changes at the international level, especially on the European scale. It also seeks to explain why Dutch national spatial planning is constantly returning to domestic planning issues, mainly on urban form, which play themselves out at lower scales than the national.

Regional Design in the Context of Fragmented Territorial Governance: South Wing Studio

Abstract In the Netherlands, the formation of governance arrangements around planning issues that cross administrative boundaries has been assisted frequently by a design approach that is often referred to as “regional design”. This is a distinctive method of policy argumentation that makes use of spatial representations of the plausible future of regions. Such representations are intended not only to indicate physical changes, but also to stimulate debate on sharing responsibilities and resources for planning tasks among planning actors. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the performance of regional design in the context of fragmented regional governance through a case study in the southern part of the Randstad in the Netherlands. We argue that regional design has contributed to institutional capacity in a complex polycentric and, looking at the governance structure, pluricentric region like the Randstad South Wing, largely by allowing for multiple interpretations.

Rotterdam: A City and a Mainport on the Edge of a Delta

Within Europe, Rotterdam is by far the largest port and supplier of fossil energy sources. City and port have a “sandwich” position in the low lands between a sea with a rising level and rivers with increasing peak discharges. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that sustainability forms a matter of life or death for Rotterdam as a Delta City. The question of a sustainable Rotterdam or not is related to the following issues: (1) water management (preventing hazards; the restoration of the estuary; salinization); (2) urban renewal; (3) the spatial and climate footprint of the ever-growing port and (4) energy transition. Currently all these issues are dealt with largely independently of one another. For a genuinely sustainable future, linkages have to be made between strategies, projects and actors.

Meta-governance and developing integrated territorial strategies: The case study of MIRT territorial agendas in the Randstad (Netherlands)

This paper considers the role of meta-governance in developing integrative territorial strategies at the regional level, drawing evidence from the Randstad (the Netherlands). We look at three cases of regional strategy-making within the context of a long-term national government investment programme on infrastructure and territorial development called MIRT. In terms of findings, we observe that the MIRT programme has created an institutional context which enables governmental stakeholders to effectively deal with the fragmented governance situation in their part of the Randstad. The findings fuel further reflection on the possible role of meta-governance in regional integrated strategy-making.

Wil Zonneveld, Vincent Nadin — Netherlands

1. Present Status of Planning Dutch spatial planning (ruimtelijke ordening) is celebrated worldwide for its effective institutions and doctrine. This elaborate fabric of Dutch planning started to rupture in the late 1990s. National spatial planning in particular, admired by many as the pinnacle of the Dutch planning system, has faced radical reform. The national ministry of spatial planning (VROM) was merged with other sectors into a Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, and the word ‘planning’ no longer figures in the national departmental structure. Planning competences are further devolved to provinces and municipalities. Whilst some scaling back of deep national involvement in local decisions is welcome, the present storyline of national planning is rather thin, concentrating almost entirely on issues of economic development and competitiveness. A new Environment Act, merging planning with a host of other regulations, will supersede the 2008 Spatial Planning Act. Questions have been raised about the place of spatial planning in the emerging ‘Environment Vision’ and the possibility of the collapse of plan-making under the weight of its policy integration ambitions.