ABSTRACT
Spatial planning policies and processes across Europe are experiencing reforms in
response to a range of challenges such as economic globalization, the European inte-
gration process, economic reforms, demographic change, sustainable development and
climate change (Healey and Williams, 1993; Stead, 2013). On one hand, this has led to
similar policy approaches across EU member states when dealing with, for example,
demographic change in peripheral areas, climate change issues or migration strategies
in urban areas. More coherent spatial approaches, for example towards a balanced and
polycentric development, are also recognizable within the European Spatial Development
Perspectives (ESPD) (CEC, 1999) and the Territorial Agenda of the European Union (EU,
2007). On the other hand, spatial planning covers various policy domains and planning
traditions. More specifically, it combines multiple, overlapping policy processes,
pursues manifold and competing objectives and rationales and employs certain doctrines
or paradigms concerning spatial patterns, future developments and the longer term legiti-
macy of planning action (Allmendinger, 2011, pp. 43-44). As spatial planning is a social
and interactive activity, it becomes clear that the “meaning of social codes” (see also
Berger and Luckmann 1966) related to spatial planning-such as planning issues and
objectives, norms, methods and instruments-is bound to specific local (cultural) con-
texts. This means that policy responses to challenges such as balanced and sustainable
development, economic competitiveness or demographic change might differ across EU
member states even if all countries agree on common objectives.
