ABSTRACT
In the United States there continues to be an evolution of the regional planning process to become even more comprehensive and multidimensional expanding the relationship established between land use, economic, and transport planning to also incorporate environmental protection and restoration, systems approaches and design, social equity, and human health. In Germany, where regional planning is traditionally strong due to the federal political structure which is mirrored in the planning system, there is a move towards more bottom-up participation in regional coordination efforts. The parallelism of these spatial developments makes it particularly hard to address these challenges effectively through statutory planning instruments and informal planning tools. In the context of rapid growth, more resources including human resources have to be made available if spatial planning is to have a pro-active role which includes emphasis on safeguarding the environment and social well-being while at the same time coordinating necessary infrastructure for economic prosperity.
