Planning at the National Level in Europe in Relation to Major Infrastructure

Abstract

This paper examines some recent cases of spatial planning at the national level. Such planning may be comprehensive, in some rare cases, or sectoral and with a more fuzzy and complex character. The paper concentrates on how such planning at the national level relates to the planning of major infrastructure in three European states. This reveals the wide range of approaches to such national-level planning, with quite differing arrangements and recent trajectories. The political economic circumstances of recent decades are layered on top of more enduring constitutional and historical–geographical characteristics, to frame the paths taken in each case. It is suggested that current arrangements are not likely to be up to the challenges now facing planning at this level. More careful academic focus on this level could help to suggest improved approaches.

Notes

This work was carried out as part of a project funded by an ESRC fellowship on Infrastructure and Spatial Planning (grant number RES-063-27-0157). This allowed me to examine practice in relation to planning big infrastructure in other EU states, as well as studying changes in England. Further details and full referencing, in the shape of working papers on Dutch, English, French, German, Scottish and Spanish experience, can be found at the following webpage: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/be/about/planning/projects/tmarshall.html.