Thinking at the megaregional scale : The cases of the Southern European diagonal and thames gateway
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Date
2010
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AESOP
Abstract
This contribution focuses on the regional context of spatial development. It argues that in a globalising world, spatial planning can no longer be undertaken in geographic isolation by solely focusing on a particular area, usually determined by administrative boundaries and political competences. Spatial planning needs to explore various scales simultaneously – others call them ‘layers’ in this book – identifying key issues at each level, discovering their interdependence and relating them to each other. This is particularly relevant for a city like Wrocław with its extremely turbulent history of spatial-political transformation and identity and changing relations with its surrounding regions and countries during its existence. and local authorities, often without an elected government and very limited competences. At a time when cities assume an increasingly important role in the local and global economy their regional position and influence matter at both national and international levels. ‘Shrinking’ space, owing to ever speedier means of communication, contributes to the importance of regional spatial strategies, not least for infrastructure investment. Beyond American planning traditions, the first mega-region was conceived in the 1960s for the north eastern coast of the USA where several supra-regional development strategies were implemented successfully. Since then nine other mega-regions were construed in the USA which are pursuing supra-regional policies to achieve economic prosperity. Together these policies led to the current proposal of a national strategic spatial plan for the USA as a whole (Knowledge creation and sharing planning workshops, 2004 & 2005).
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Book of proceedings: Urban change : The prospect of transformation
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