PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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concept aims to integrate aspects from three fundamentally different development
“paradigms”. Campbell (1996), fortunately avoiding the use of the term paradigm,
speaks of a “planner’s triangle of sustainable development” comprised of the three
fundamental aims of environmental protection, economic development and social equity.
This view is also exemplified by Masser, Sviden and Wegener (1992:35) in the
Geography of Europe’s Future where they identify three main transport development
“paradigms” in Europe which are often in conflict with each other: growth, equity and
environment. They further equate these “paradigms” with conservative, socialdemocratic
and green transport politics, respectively. Note that I consider the use of the
term “paradigm” quite inappropriate in this context (also see section 3.5.1 below).
Nevertheless, in my initial analyses of EU transport policy, I originally also planned to
follow this more conventional three-part distinction. However, the discussion of the
relationship between transport and economic development in Chapter 2 already indicated
that rather than simply viewing the term sustainability as having three main, somehow
complementary “dimensions” of growth, environment and equity, we have to instead
consider several additional factors in the equation. For example, we have to somehow
account for the fact that the very nature of capitalist development is undergoing profound
changes. We also have to consider more process- and institutionally-oriented arguments
related to “sustainable” decision making (transparency, participation). We have to also
take into account that many scholars increasingly reject the concept of sustainable
development. Finally, additional concerns related to the changing nature of rational
decision-making in the context of globalization, multi-level governance and multilocation
politics also need to be considered. This chapter therefore takes a fundamentally