Unravelling a sustainability vision in the national spatial plan
Date
2024
Authors
Editors
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Publisher
AESOP
Abstract
There is an increasing demand for a new generation of planning frameworks capable of delivering long-term sustainability outcomes amidst the escalating uncertainties (Becker 2023, Kivimaa 2023). European policies reshape the territorial dimension at the national level, fostering policy debates through downscaling emerging initiatives and measures (Böhme et al., 2022b). Estonia's National Spatial Plan has undergone a significant transformation, shifting from traditional growth paradigms to a sustainability vision. The research evaluates the plan's inception and framework, addressing challenges posed by climate change, regional disparities, and national security while striving for a resilient and sustainable future. The inception phase establishes principles, selects themes, and outlines impact assessment methodologies, along with identifying necessary studies. Rethinking climate policy, particularly in the land-use sector, involves aligning policies with decarbonisation, climate and biodiversity implications, simply minimizing land take and acknowledging spatial scarcity. The plan should set clear land use priorities, providing conditions and guidelines for local comprehensive plans, seeking climate-proof and low carbon land uses and enforcing brownfield development for reducing aggressive land take. A nuanced approach incorporates cross-cutting planning principles and sustainability dilemmas, plus national deference urgencies. The research highlights potential gaps in the plan's adaptability to the transition mode and underscores uncertainties regarding high territorial dynamism, navigating tensions between flexibility and stability. This initial phase of national planning is crucial as it sets the ethos and tone for the entire planning system and process.
Description
Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024
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CC-BY