The past thirty years have seen a proliferation of new forms of territorial governance that have come to co-exist with, and complement, formal territorial spaces of government. These governance experiments have resulted in the creation of soft spaces, new geographies with blurred boundaries that eschew existing political-territorial boundaries of elected tiers of government. The emergence of new, non-statutory or informal spaces can be found at multiple levels across Europe, in a variety of circumstances, and with diverse aims and rationales. This book moves beyond theory to examine the practice of soft spaces. It employs an empirical approach to better understand the various practices and rationalities of soft spaces and how they manifest themselves in different planning contexts. By looking at the effects of new forms of spatial governance and the role of spatial planning in North-western Europe, this book analyses discursive changes in planning policies in selected metropolitan areas and cross-border regions. The result is an exploration of how these processes influence the emergence of soft spaces, governance arrangements and the role of statutory planning in different contexts. This book provides a deeper understanding of space and place, territorial governance and network governance.

This important book examines the ways in which community economic development can contribute to local and regional regeneration. It presents a unique overview of the state of contemporary British practice in this important policy area and provides a series of fresh, theoretical, methodological and empirical insights which help us to understand ways in which communities are facing up to the challenges of devising and bringing about their own revitalisation. Community Economic Development is underpinned by the argument that much conventional regeneration work represents at best a short-term fix rather than a long-term sustainable solution to the problems of socially excluded communities. The emphasis of the book is largely on the British experience with contributions from a rich mix of new and established academics and practitioners.

The past thirty years have seen a proliferation of new forms of territorial governance that have come to co-exist with, and complement, formal territorial spaces of government. These governance experiments have resulted in the creation of soft spaces, new geographies with blurred boundaries that eschew existing political-territorial boundaries of elected tiers of government. The emergence of new, non-statutory or informal spaces can be found at multiple levels across Europe, in a variety of circumstances, and with diverse aims and rationales. This book moves beyond theory to examine the practice of soft spaces. It employs an empirical approach to better understand the various practices and rationalities of soft spaces and how they manifest themselves in different planning contexts. By looking at the effects of new forms of spatial governance and the role of spatial planning in North-western Europe, this book analyses discursive changes in planning policies in selected metropolitan areas and cross-border regions. The result is an exploration of how these processes influence the emergence of soft spaces, governance arrangements and the role of statutory planning in different contexts. This book provides a deeper understanding of space and place, territorial governance and network governance.

Spatial planning, strongly advocated by government and the profession, is intended to be more holistic, more strategic, more inclusive, more integrative and more attuned to sustainable development than previous approaches. In what the authors refer to as the New Spatial Planning, there is a fairly rapidly evolving maturity and sophistication in how strategies are developed and produced. Crucially, the authors argue that the reworked boundaries of spatial planning means that to understand it we need to look as much outside the formal system of practices of ?planning? as within it.

Using a rich empirical resource base, this book takes a critical look at recent practices to see whether the new spatial planning is having the kinds of impacts its advocates would wish. Contributing to theoretical debates in planning, state restructuring and governance, it also outlines and critiques the contemporary practice of spatial planning. This book will have a place on the shelves of researchers and students interested in urban/regional studies, politics and planning studies.

Spatial planning, strongly advocated by government and the profession, is intended to be more holistic, more strategic, more inclusive, more integrative and more attuned to sustainable development than previous approaches. In what the authors refer to as the New Spatial Planning, there is a fairly rapidly evolving maturity and sophistication in how strategies are developed and produced. Crucially, the authors argue that the reworked boundaries of spatial planning means that to understand it we need to look as much outside the formal system of practices of planning as within it.

Using a rich empirical resource base, this book takes a critical look at recent practices to see whether the new spatial planning is having the kinds of impacts its advocates would wish. Contributing to theoretical debates in planning, state restructuring and governance, it also outlines and critiques the contemporary practice of spatial planning. This book will have a place on the shelves of researchers and students interested in urban/regional studies, politics and planning studies. "

Contents:
1. The Re-emergence of the Region in Policy and Politics 2. Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development 3. Environmental Quality and Spatial Planning: Different Meanings in Different Regions? 4. Housing Need and Urban Form 5. Towards an Urban Renaissance? 6. Inward Investment Versus Sustainable Development: The Economic Development Imperative 7. Governance, Regionalism and Regional Planning 8. Conclusions.

This book focuses on recent regional policy and planning debates in all the English regions, using a range of theoretical insights to examine major controversies such as: resistance to new housing on greenfield sites, sustainable urban development and policies for 'urban renaissance', whether to redirect or constrain economic growth in pressure areas, how to support economic development in declining areas, and how best to protect environmental assets for the future.

Sustainable Cities simultaneously tackles two issues of immediate public concern which also find themselves high on the policy agenda: sustainable environmental development and urban development. The themes of the book - the bringing together of the insights of environmental science, the social sciences and management; the combination of problem analysis with practical application; and a critique of urban environmental problems concentrating on air and water pollution - are illustrated throughout with in-depth material and case studies taken from around the world and are approached from a variety of perspectives: economic, ecological and managerial. Each chapter has a concluding section pointing to key concepts, key reading and a range of discussion points.

This important book examines the ways in which community economic development can contribute to local and regional regeneration. It presents a unique overview of the state of contemporary British practice in this important policy area and provides a series of fresh, theoretical, methodological and empirical insights which help us to understand ways in which communities are facing up to the challenges of devising and bringing about their own revitalisation. Community Economic Development is underpinned by the argument that much conventional regeneration work represents at best a short-term fix rather than a long-term sustainable solution to the problems of socially excluded communities. The emphasis of the book is largely on the British experience with contributions from a rich mix of new and established academics and practitioners.

Sustainable Cities simultaneously tackles two issues of immediate public concern which also find themselves high on the policy agenda: sustainable environmental development and urban development. The themes of the book - the bringing together of the insights of environmental science, the social sciences and management; the combination of problem analysis with practical application; and a critique of urban environmental problems concentrating on air and water pollution - are illustrated throughout with in-depth material and case studies taken from around the world and are approached from a variety of perspectives: economic, ecological and managerial. Each chapter has a concluding section pointing to key concepts, key reading and a range of discussion points.

This book looks at the transition from New Labour s Spatial Planning approach to the Coalition Government s preferred Localism approach. Localism we are told will liberate local planners from the heavy hand of central government and allow planning to flourish at the local level. Alternatively, austerity cuts nationally mean planning faces cuts. In just two years the machinery of regional planning has been dismantled and local authorities are being asked to do more with less. Innovation is also evident, however, notably with the introduction of neighbourhood planning and Local Enterprise Partnerships. This collection contain chapters looking at the planning system overall, sustainability and planning, new approaches to infrastructure planning, and the critical interface between urban policy, local economic development and planning.

This book was published as a special issue of "Planning Practice and Research." It also contains a brand new afterword, written by the editors: Localism, austerity and planning.

Why do we plan? Who decides how and where we plan and what we should value? How do theories and ideologies filter down into real policies and plans which affect our lives? Written in a deliberately practitioner-friendly manner, this useful guide answers these questions and reveals planning theories to be simply new ideas that can help one see the world differently. Thinking about them enables us to take a step back to appreciate the wider context. The guide discusses the value of planning, how rationales for planning have changed, and whether we have too much, too little, or just the wrong kind of planning. It then sets out 25 key concepts central to professional practice, ranging from participation and complexity to post-politics and state theory, from risk and resilience to governmentality, from assemblage to ecosystems and sustainability.