ABSTRACT
When we were asked to undertake the research projects which underpin this book, as part of the NoordXXI project, we were attracted to the themes of place identity and participation in planning in the widening European context. However, as noted in the preface, we initially did not plan to produce a book exploring these concepts, rather we were immersed in the logistics of organizing data collection from six partners in four countries, so that we could meet the tight timetables set within the project. However, the process of undertaking international research, working with academics from other countries and participating in workshops with practitioners from different planning systems was - as ever - an experience that began to prompt new ideas. Why were some practitioners much more certain about the identity of their region than others in different partners? Why was the concept of 'housing market areas' so familiar to Scots but so strange to Scandinavians? Why were the local politicians so engaged in Askim, but less visible in some other places? Why did Scandinavian towns look different from Dutch ones, and why were both so different in urban form from their Scottish equivalents? The findings of the various linked research projects provided some answers but raised other questions.
