EU Cohesion Policy and spatial economic growth: trajectories in economic thought

Figures & data

Table 1. Recent strategic documents of key importance on EU level and the ‘urban’.

Document	Issued/ratified by	The ‘urban’ in a territorial context	The ‘urban’ in a growth context
Territorial Agenda 2007 European Union (2007)	Informal Ministerial Meeting on Urban Development and Territorial Cohesion (hosted by Germany)	Polycentricity; Urban-rural relation	Cities as drivers of economic growth
Territorial Agenda 2020 European Union (2011)	Informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Spatial Planning and Territorial Development (hosted by Hungary)	Polycentricity; Urban-rural relation	Cities with responsibilities towards the hinterland
Urban Agenda/ Pact of Amsterdam European Union (2016)	Informal Meeting of EU Ministers Responsible for Urban Matters (hosted by the Netherlands)	Urban area as the dominant and decisive territory	Urban areas in a key role to pursue the three Europe 2020 growth objectives
Europe 2020
CEC (2010)	European Commission	-generally absent- Broadly mentioning national, regional and local levels.	-generally absent- Broadly about smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
7th Cohesion Report CEC (2017a)	European Commission (DG REGIO)	Urban areas most efficient as well as most challenged	Regions with large cities have highest growth

Source: own elaboration.

Figure 1. An outline of the links between the Growth Pole Theory and how spatial economic growth are described in recent key EU policy documents.

European Union. (2007). Territorial Agenda of the European Union. Agreed on the occasion of the Informal ministerial meeting on urban development and territorial Cohesion on 24–25 May 2007 in Leipzig, Germany.

 Google Scholar

European Union. (2011). Territorial agenda of the European Union 2020. Agreed at the Informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers responsible for spatial planning and territorial development on 19th May 2011 in gödöllő, Hungary.

 Google Scholar

European Union. (2016). Urban agenda for the European Union. Agreed at the Informal Meeting of EU ministers responsible for urban matters on 30 May 2016 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 Google Scholar

CEC. (2010). EUROPE 2020 – A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. COM(2010) 2020 final.

 Google Scholar

CEC. (2017a). My region, My Europe, our future. Seventh report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

 Google Scholar