The attractiveness of Europe and its regions and cities is a theme of the Europe 2020 strategy and Territorial Agenda. Territorial assets and the quality of places are important dimensions of many regional development strategies within a globalising and interconnected world. Competition has intensified and financial resources become increasingly footloose. Consequently the capacity to attract these footloose resources that include human capital has become an increasingly important aspect of regional development.

With the publication Territorial Observation No. 6, focusing on “Territorial Dynamics in Europe: Regions and cities in the global economy”, ESPON offers evidence, maps and points for policy consideration related to regions and cities in the global economy.

The sixth volume of ESPON Territorial Observations focuses on Regions and cities in the global economy.

Climate change is a high profile political issue in Europe. Scientific evidence and explanations of climate change have accumulated over several decades. The coordinated work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the first obvious signs of climate change moved the topic into general public debate and onto the political agenda.

The fifth volume of ESPON Territorial Observations focuses on Creative Workforce. Regions with high concentrations of creative and cultural industries have Europe’s highest prosperity levels. Evidence suggests that jobs and growth follow these creative people as much as creative people follow jobs and growth, and attractive places.

The first number of ESPON Territorial Observation aims at giving policy makers and practitioners short and concise information on important new evidence related to dynamics of population development and migration in Europe and its regions.

The second number of ESPON Territorial Observations aims at providing policy makers and practitioners with short and concise information on important new evidence related to dynamics of accessibility development in Europe and its regions.

ESPON Territorial Observations aim at providing policy makers and practitioners short and concise information on territorial dynamics. The third volume put focus on territorial aspects of the Lisbon and the Europe 2020 strategies by comparing the position and trends of regions around Europe on related indicators.

The global financial crisis from 2008 onwards resulted in a significant economic downturn as well as new and intensified social challenges in many European countries and regions. This impact hit European regions asymmetrically leaving some countries and regions with substantial challenges in their economic recovery, but not all.

EU Cohesion Policy contributes to the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Territorial Agenda. Investments in regions and cities all over Europe shall support and stimulate an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth of the Union. The ambition is to ensure and enhance European competitiveness in a rapidly changing and connecting world.