The ESPON 2006 Programme
The ESPON 2006 Programme has been established to create a network of researchers who can develop the implications of the ESDP and provide new knowledge to inform understanding of the spatial dimension of the Structural Funds, Cohesion Policy and other Community and national government policies. The intention is that this will be a research programme that is practical in its approach and provides a basis for evidence-based policy making.
The programme will undertake a series of spatial planning research up to 2007.
Main headings and content for ESPON research:
| Thematic studies on major spatial developments, typologies of regions and the situation of cities. |
| Policy impact studies on the spatial impact of Community sector policies (e.g. Agricultural Policy) and member states’ spatial development policy, with a focus on linkages and co-ordination horizontally and vertically. |
| Co-ordinating and territorial cross-thematic studies – indicator systems, typologies and spatial development scenarios. |
Further information on ESPON is available on the ESPON website,
www.espon.lu.
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Background
ESPON Contact Point
Latest News
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Background
The development of the concept of a European Spatial Planning Observation Network started with a general concern among EU Member States and the Commission that there was a lack of knowledge and research in the field of spatial development from a European perspective.
The idea of ESPON developed during the second half of the 1990s. During the developmental process of the ESDP (European Spatial Development Perspective), it became clear that the scientific basis for policy making needed to be improved. In particular, there was a perceived need to:
- identify indicators for spatial development, and
- suggest possible strategic directions for spatial development at EU level, which should be followed up and elaborated in policy terms.
At the meeting of EU spatial planning Ministers at Echternach in December 1997, a two-year pilot project on European Spatial Planning (SPESP) was set up as a pilot action under Article 10 of the Structural Funds in co-operation between the EU Member States and the European Commission. It served as a test phase for co-operation among national research institutes providing policy advice within an EU-wide network, as well as providing a basis for future ESPON co-operation. The results of this test-phase were presented in 2000 (available in
www.nordregio.se). The ESPON 2006 programme was agreed and implemented under the INTERREG III Community Initiative and adopted by the Commission in June2002.
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Programme
ESPON Contact Point
Latest News
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The ESPON Contact Point
To assist in the development and overall co-ordination and promotion of the ESPON Programme, each Member State has appointed a national ESPON Contact Point (ECP). The role of UK ECP has been undertaken since 2002 by Professor Cliff Hague (
tcpcbh@sbe.hw.ac.uk) from the School of the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University. Professor Hague was recently re appointed as UK ECP until March 2007, supported by Karryn Kirk (
K.Kirk@sbe.hw.ac.uk). The role of the ECP is to represent the UK's policy oriented research community, to act as a central node for a national network of spatial research; and to help raise the level of knowledge in the UK on spatial planning research and practice. The aim is to build bridges so that research is informed by practice, and practice is aware of research findings and able to apply them. The ECP also supports the UK representatives on the ESPON Monitoring Committee, provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Click for:
Programme
Background
Latest News
Printer Format
Latest News
The latest ESPON Seminar took place at the Radboud University in Nijmegen in the Netherlands on 11-12 October 2004. The main focus of the Seminar was on the presentation of findings from the first 8 completed ESPON projects on:
- "Polycentrism"
- Urban-rural relations
- Transport services and networks
- Telecommunications services and networks
- Territorial impact of EU R&D policy
- Territorial impact of EU transport and TEN policies
- Territorial impact of the Common Agricultural Policy
- Territorial trends of the management of the natural heritage
Final reports from these projects, along with all interim ESPON reports are available on the ESPON website at
www.espon.lu.
The next ESPON seminar will take place in Luxembourg on 17-18 May 2005. In the interim, discussions will begin under the Dutch Presidency on a possible successor to the current ESPON programme which ends in 2006.
Click for:
Programme
ESPON Contact Point
Background
Printer Format
The ESPON 2006 Programme
The ESPON 2006 Programme has been established to create a network of researchers who can develop the implications of the ESDP and provide new knowledge to inform understanding of the spatial dimension of the Structural Funds, Cohesion Policy and other Community and national government policies. The intention is that this will be a research programme that is practical in its approach and provides a basis for evidence-based policy making.
The programme will undertake a series of spatial planning research up to 2007.
Main headings and content for ESPON research:
| Thematic studies on major spatial developments, typologies of regions and the situation of cities. |
| Policy impact studies on the spatial impact of Community sector policies (e.g. Agricultural Policy) and member states’ spatial development policy, with a focus on linkages and co-ordination horizontally and vertically. |
| Co-ordinating and territorial cross-thematic studies – indicator systems, typologies and spatial development scenarios. |
Background
The development of the concept of a European Spatial Planning Observation Network started with a general concern among EU Member States and the Commission that there was a lack of knowledge and research in the field of spatial development from a European perspective.
The idea of ESPON developed during the second half of the 1990s. During the developmental process of the ESDP (European Spatial Development Prospective), it became clear that the scientific basis for policy making needed to be improved. In particular, there was a perceived need to:
- identify indicators for spatial development, and
- suggest possible strategic directions for spatial development at EU level, which should be followed up and elaborated in policy terms.
At the meeting of EU spatial planning Ministers at Echternach in December 1997, a two-year pilot project on European Spatial Planning (SPESP) was set up as a pilot action under Article 10 of the Structural Funds in co-operation between the EU Member States and the European Commission. It served as a test phase for co-operation among national research institutes providing policy advice within an EU-wide network, as well as providing a basis for future ESPON co-operation. The results of this test-phase were presented in 2000 (available in
www.nordregio.se). A programme for 2001-2006, being funded under the INTERREG III Community Initiative, has been drafted by Member States and has been submitted to the Commission for agreement.
The ESPON Contact Point
The ESPON Contact Point
To assist in the development and overall co-ordination and promotion of the ESPON Programme, each Member State has appointed a national ESPON Contact Point (ECP). The role of UK ECP has been undertaken since 2002 by Professor Cliff Hague (
tcpcbh@sbe.hw.ac.uk) from the School of the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University. Professor Hague was recently re appointed as UK ECP until March 2007, supported by Karryn Kirk (
K.Kirk@sbe.hw.ac.uk). The role of the ECP is to represent the UK's policy oriented research community, to act as a central node for a national network of spatial research; and to help raise the level of knowledge in the UK on spatial planning research and practice. The aim is to build bridges so that research is informed by practice, and practice is aware of research findings and able to apply them. The ECP also supports the UK representatives on the ESPON Monitoring Committee, provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Latest News
The latest ESPON Seminar took place at the Radboud University in Nijmegen in the Netherlands on 11-12 October 2004. The main focus of the Seminar was on the presentation of findings from the first 8 completed ESPON projects on:
- "Polycentrism"
- Urban-rural relations
- Transport services and networks
- Telecommunications services and networks
- Territorial impact of EU R&D policy
- Territorial impact of EU transport and TEN policies
- Territorial impact of the Common Agricultural Policy
- Territorial trends of the management of the natural heritage
Final reports from these projects, along with all interim ESPON reports are available on the ESPON website at
www.espon.lu.
The next ESPON seminar will take place in Luxembourg on 17-18 May 2005. In the interim, discussions will begin under the Dutch Presidency on a possible successor to the current ESPON programme which ends in 2006.
