ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the regional and spatial dimensions of rural sustainable development, drawing on the recent experiences of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Recent years have witnessed unprecedented interest in Europe in the formulation of spatial strategies for territorial development emphasizing the regional scale of policy delivery (Healey, Khakee, Motte and Needham 1997; Shaw, Roberts and Walsh 2000; Faludi 2001; McEeldowney and Sterrett 2001). As Albrechts, Healey and Kunzmann note (2003), the motivations for these new efforts are varied, but the objectives have typically been to articulate a more coherent spatial logic for land-use management, resource protection, and investments in regeneration and infrastructure. Typically, therefore, spatial planning frameworks embrace a wider agenda than traditional regulatory approaches to land-use management in an attempt to secure integrated policy delivery and more effective linkages between national and local planning.
