SPATIAL PLANNING Key Instrument for Development and Effective Governance

policies can promote sustainable development through a balanced spatial structure. It calls for close
cooperation amongst the authorities responsible for sectoral policies, including with those responsible
for spatial development at each respective level (horizontal integration), and between actors at the
community level and the transnational, regional and local levels (vertical integration). According to
the ESDP, cooperation is the key to an integrated spatial development policy and represents added
value over sectoral policies acting in isolation.
The CEMAT guiding principles for spatial planning, agreed upon in 2000 and adopted by the Council
of Europe in 2002, identify a set of key principles for sustainable planning policy and key
recommendations for strengthening spatial planning. This document, which was clearly influenced by
the Torremolinos Charter and the ESDP, contains recommendations on issues such as horizontal
cooperation, vertical cooperation and public participation in the spatial planning process.
1.5 Spatial planning terminology
While it may be highly desirable to have a consistent and well-defined set of terms for spatial
planning, such terms are often very difficult to define, particularly in an international,
multidisciplinary and multilingual context. Richard H. Williams, a leading authority on European
spatial planning, contended that while various glossaries of planning terminology have been produced,
the defining of a universal and agreed upon set of terms is an exercise fraught with difficulties
(Williams, 1996: 60). The European Union (EU) Compendium of Spatial Planning Systems and
Policies recognizes that even some of the most basic terms can have quite different connotations in
different countries and regions (European Commission, 1997: 25). For example, a region can signify
an area or territory with a population of 5 million or more inhabitants, (as in the case of the German
Länder or several regions in the United Kingdom) or an area with a population of less than half a
million (as in the case of Denmark, Finland or Ireland). The meaning of many terms is uniquely
defined in national laws, which may give the same words very different meanings across different
countries. For example, the direct translation of the term lokalplaner from Danish to English is local
plans. However, the status and content of Danish lokalplaner and English local plans are quite
different. 1
Consequently, this document does not contain a long list of spatial planning definitions and terms; it
tries to keep the use of technical planning terms to a minimum. A short description of the technical
terms relating to spatial planning that are included in this report can be found in the annex to this
publication.
1.6 Summary
A number of definitions of spatial planning exist and the scope of spatial planning differs greatly from
one country to another. Nevertheless, most spatial planning systems share a number of similarities.
Spatial planning is usually concerned with identifying long- or medium-term objectives and strategies
for territories and coordinating sectoral policies such as transport, agriculture and environment. The
system of spatial planning can help deliver economic, social as well as environmental benefits. Spatial
planning systems are being introduced or considered in a large number of UNECE member States. In
1 Danish lokalplaner are legally binding documents that set out regulations for the control of land use within a particular
neighbourhood, while in England, local plans do not contain binding regulations but provide guidance for decisions on
proposals for development and are prepared for the whole of the local planning authority’s area. Although these two sorts
of plans share some characteristics, especially in the procedures of preparation, the EU Compendium of Spatial Planning
Systems and Policies concludes that they are fundamentally different types of instruments (European Commission, 1997:
25).
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