PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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On one hand, there is the question of the validity of the approach of “sustainable
transport” and the underlying reasons and rationales for decision-making. One cannot
assert that the EU “fails” to implement its own sustainability agenda without first taking a
closer look at both general and EU specific interpretations of “sustainability” and
“sustainable transport.” We will therefore have to address questions such as: How are the
terms defined? What are their major connotations? How are the concepts
operationalized? What is the relationship between transport and development? How do
the EU's definitions relate to larger discussions around economic development and
environmentalism? Are the presented definitions and arguments coherent and internally
consistent? Can we distinguish different discourses with regard to sustainability and
sustainable transport? The overall aim here is to present an analysis of sustainable
development and sustainable transport as social constructs.
On the other hand, there is the question of the EU’s ability to implement a given
approach. Such a path of analysis asks fundamental questions about the process of
decision-making. Here the focus would be on an institutional analysis of the major
players and the relationships between them, guided by questions such as: Given its own
understanding of the concepts of sustainability as presented in official policy documents,
why do EU decision-makers fail to integrate environmental considerations into transport
investment decisions in the EU? Who are the major decision-makers in transport
planning and policy-making in the EU, especially with regard to Pan-European policies
and projects? Who else is participating in the decision-making process, who is left out?
What is the relationship between those who formulate policy objectives and those who
implement concrete investment projects? Are the formulated goals and objectives
more details on mode-specific EU-led transport infrastructure investments see Part III.