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ESPON evidence in planning practice and policy development

It is commonly understood that the development of urban areas will have a major impact on the future sustainable development (economic, environmental and social) of the European Union and on its citizens. Moreover, it is recognised that the success of sustainable urban development is highly important for the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the European Union.

Urban areas in Europe are facing a number of developmental challenges, one of the most significant being ensuring sustainable land use. To address this challenge, within the urban agenda for the EU, the Partnership on Sustainable Use of Land and Nature-based Solutions (SUL-NBS Partnership) was established. The main objective of the SUL-NBS Partnership is to ensure that changes in urban areas (growth, shrinkage and regeneration) are respectful of the environment and improve quality of life. The partnership also aims to respond to the growing need for better urban management, in the context of scarce land resources and the potential benefits of using nature to address the challenges faced by cities.

"The SUL-NBS Partnership considers ESPON’s project results and findings to be very valuable, and many of them were used by the partnership asa starting point when developing and implementing many actions"

It is essential that awareness of these topics grows, which is also reflected by the selected priority topics of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, dealing with the reuse of spaces and buildings, as well as green infrastructure (GI) in urban areas. These are core topics to consider when discussing sustainable land use.

Many ESPON research projects deal with challenges related to these topics. Projects such as SUPER (Sustainable Urbanization and Land-use Practices in European Regions), ENSURE (European Regeneration through Port City Regeneration), GRETA (Green Infrastructure: Enhancing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Territorial Development), TITAN (Territorial Impacts of Natural Disasters) and others provide immensely valuable findings and information. Findings and results provide not only information regarding past trends and the existing situation related to urban, regional and territorial development, but also solutions on how cities and regions could achieve sustainable development. In the context of the SUL-NBS Partnership, it is extremely valuable that ESPON projects recognise the importance of urban areas in overall territorial development. The results of ESPON projects and the findings presented in ESPON policy briefs on the reuse of spaces and buildings, as well as on GI in urban areas, can be applied by urban authorities to achieve sustainable land use and in a wider context to contribute to overall sustainable development.

The application of the research results can be viewed through three aspects. The first is related to using the information and data provided on the existing trends and situation to raise awareness among urban authorities of existing and emerging challenges. Through these findings, urban authorities can more easily recognise and explain the challenges they are facing or could face in the near future. For example, SUPER will provide findings on the unexpected costs of urban sprawl and the benefits of limiting land take, while TITAN deals with the economic impacts of natural disasters in European cities and regions. These findings can help urban authorities to assess their options and respond in a timely manner to prevent undesired effects. The second relates to methodology and best practice examples, which are often identified and/or defined through the research. One of the examples is the methodology presented as part of GRETA, aimed at helping cities to assess the long-term benefits of GI development, especially regarding its monetary value, which is often one of the most important aspects when deciding whether or not to implement a GI project. Finally, what can be considered the most important aspect of ESPON research projects in terms of their application are the recommendations that are formulated based on the findings and results. While the level of detail and specificity of the recommendations depends on the project itself and its specific theme, the recommendations represent clear steps that urban authorities can adopt or incorporate into existing policies, and implement to govern in a more sustainable manner and effectively reach development objectives.

To support policy-makers and planners in enhancing the reuse of spaces and buildings, enhancing GI and developing more sustainable urbanisation, they should be included more intensively when identifying the challenges that are likely to be faced when taking action. This refers for instance to limited capacities and knowledge on topics such as financing options and determining the benefits of certain decisions. The key to applying the results of ESPON research projects and the findings in documents such as ESPON policy briefs is to increase their visibility and disseminate them to urban authorities across Europe. The SUL-NBS Partnership considers ESPON’s project results and findings to be very valuable, and many of them were used by the partnership as a starting point when developing and implementing many actions.

This article appears in Green infrastructure and reuse of spaces

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