ESPON Atlas on European Territorial Structures and Dynamics

Thematic scope

The ESPON Atlas 2014 is envisaged to present a synoptic and comprehensive overview of key findings from all ESPON 2013 Priority 1 and Priority 2 projects, which serve as main providers of new facts, evidence and knowledge about European territorial structures, trends and perspectives and policy impacts. Together with the indicators and datasets included in the ESPON Database, this project shall promote the mission of the ESPON 2013 Programme of supporting policy development by compiling an “ESPON Atlas on European Territorial Structures and Dynamics” by the end of the ESPON 2013 Programme.

The Atlas will not take a particular policy defined point of departure, but aims at covering the multitude of ESPON themes in a comprehensive manner. It shall enable comparisons among regions and cities and support the understanding of European territorial diversity of potentials and challenges.

Please read more about the main research areas and main results envisaged on the next page.

Scientific support to policy development

  • A basic and comprehensive approach should make the Atlas useful and appealing for deeper studying of all themes and aspects of European territorial development that may be interesting in a place-based approach.
  • Based on the maps selected and produced, the project is expected to analyse and make an interpretation of each map. The maps selected and produced should be accompanied by a short text with the main key messages and relevant policy observations at different geographical levels and for different types of regions.
  • The interpretation of maps included in the Atlas should be made in a highly communicative and understandable way and presented in a simple style for policy makers. However the Atlas shall still give solid, accurate and reliable explanations on the phenomena studied and displayed in order also to be able to serve teaching purposes.

Lead Partner

Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Regional Development, Germany

Detailed information on the contracted project team can be found under Transnational Project Groups.

Budget: € 149 992.00

Project’s lifetime: February 2012 – July 2014

Delivery of Reports

Inception Report: 27 June 2012

Interim Report: 31 March 2013

Draft Final Report: 30 April 2014

Final Report: 31 August 2014

Publishing

Reports will be published once they are approved by the ESPON Monitoring Committee

More information

Please contact the Project Experts at the ESPON Coordination Unit:
Michaela GENSHEIMER, e-mail: [email protected]

Main research areas

The following tasks are envisaged to be implemented by the ESPON Atlas project:

  • Compilation of comprehensive information on the state, trends, perspectives and policy impacts for the European territory, its regions and cities on the different themes that have been researched and analysed in the framework of the ESPON 2013 Programme.
  • Analysis and interpretation of maps that will be accompanied by key messages and relevant policy observations at different geographical levels and for different types of regions.

Main results envisaged

  • An ESPON Atlas on European Territorial Structures and Dynamics, covering in a comprehensive way all themes addressed in framework of the ESPON 2013 Programme, taking account of the main policy priorities in relation to European Territorial Development.
  • A digital version of the ESPON Atlas making it possible to access the atlas in a user-friendly and interactive way, allowing to access, search, navigate (e.g. pan, zoom, reset) and visualise the various elements of the atlas (i.e. maps, text, supporting data and information).
  • The digital version will make it possible to download all datasets included in the atlas. It should stimulate interest and support the use of the ESPON Atlas by many target groups, including students and teachers.

Documents

Final Report - Part A Background document to the Atlas

  • Acrobat Document | 378KB

Final Report - Part B ESPON Atlas

  • Acrobat Document | 34.27MB

Draft Final Report - Part A Background document to the Draft Atlas

  • Acrobat Document | 227KB

Draft Final Report - Part B Draft ESPON Atlas

  • Acrobat Document | 32.20MB

Interim Report

  • Acrobat Document | 2.94MB

Interim Report - Annex, Example "Europe and its regions on the global stage"

  • Acrobat Document | 3.80MB

Interim Report - Annex, Example "Territorial pattern of innovation"

  • Acrobat Document | 2.16MB

Inception Report

  • Acrobat Document | 2.26MB

Project specifications

  • Acrobat Document | 55KB