Policy Brief: Governance, planning and financial tools in support of polycentric development

European states, cities and regions have developed a variety of horizontal and vertical cooperative ventures like institutional networks, partnership arrangements and governance inter-relations. Strengthening and intensifying cooperation needs a stronger place-based and endogenous approach, tailor-made interventions and new culture of public policy and public action.

 

However, cooperation between independent actors, institutions, functional activities and spatial organisations with different, fragmented and often competing interests are still a challenge. Institutional networks, partnership arrangements and governance inter-relations, implementing win-win solutions require strengthening policy tools.

 In this context, polycentric development offers optimal approach to explore common strengths and promote more functional linkages and interactions among territories over the administration borders.

 Policy brief analyses various governance, planning and financial tools used to support the polycentric development of the territory at EU, national and regional level illustrated by case studies in a range of diverse territories. Document formulates policy advice on most appropriate tools and approaches from the governance, planning financial perspective.

Policy brief and working paper - as a background document - were framed by strong practical output based on ESPON targeted analyses devoted to regional strategies for sustainable territorial development (ReSSI), metropolitan areas - dynamics and challenges and territorial cooperation action areas (SPIMA) and broad umbrella report of the applied research project on spatial planning systems in Europe (COMPAS).

The full policy brief is available for download below.

Documents