estonia-2030_en

IntroductionThe Estonia 2030+ national spatial plan is a strategic document aiming to achieve the expedientutilisation of space on the scale of Estonia as a whole. The national spatial plan is being prepared forthe entire territory of the nation. It defines the policies and trends for the sustainable and balancednational spatial development. The purpose of the plan is to obtain spatial bases, informed by thespecific character of the environment, for shaping settlement, mobility, national engineering infrastructureand regional development.The objectives for the national spatial planning are up-to-date, and the activities related to them willcontinue also post-2030, as indicated by the title of the plan, Estonia 2030+.The preparation of Estonia 2030+ was initiated by order No 32 of the Government of the Republic of 4February 2010.The completion of the Estonia 2030+ national spatial plan was coordinated by the Planning Departmentof the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. A plan is a collective creation, with its completion drawingon contributions by experts and officials in various fields, by county and local governments and byother interested parties involved and informed via the plan website and several public events.The principal basis for the preparation of the national spatial plan included: Europe 2020 strategy foremployment and growth; VASAB long-term perspective for the territorial development of the BalticSea region 2030+; previous Estonia 2010 national spatial plan; Sustainable Estonia 21 national strategyfor sustainable development; and Estonian growth vision 2018 economic development scenarios.The first national spatial plan, Estonia 2010, was completed in 2000. The Government of the Republicapproved Estonia 2010 and the action plan for its implementation by Order 770-k of 19 September2000. Annex 1 describes the impact of the previous plan on Estonia’s spatial development. Ten yearsafter its approval, the period regulated by the plan came to an end, and its action plan ceased to beup-to-date. Both the world around us and the situation in Estonia have changed noticeably. As aresult, Estonia needs a new national spatial plan, in order to – in light of the changes – shape thebalanced spatial planning of the nation and provide a point of reference and guidelines for updatingcounty and comprehensive plans.This national spatial plan does not replace any sectoral development plans; however, the accomplishmentof the spatial objectives set in it requires that it be linked to sectoral and regional developmentsand policy measures. To this end, by agreement amongst the relevant state agencies, the plan sets anumber of tasks. Their detailed solutions and implementation will be established in sectoral developmentplans and other national strategy documents.The national spatial plan will provide a basis for the preparation of county and comprehensive plans.5