Spatial planning plays a crucial role in shaping the physical environment of smaller municipalities and larger cities, which in turn influences energy consumption, climate impact, and mobility patterns. By integrating energy, mobility, and climate considerations into urban development strategies, spatial planning emerges as a powerful tool for creating resilient, liveable, and environmentally responsible urban environments.
What is spatial planning?
Spatial planning refers to the collective efforts of both the public and private sectors to influence the distribution of people and activities within the space of their municipality or region. The objective of spatial plans is to develop an effective territorial organisation of land uses and economic demand while protecting the environment and achieving social objectives.
The integration of energy, climate, and mobility plans into local and regional space planning allows for complementarity and consistency of actions, where the objectives of each plan would be shared and considered in all the others.
The relevance of spatial planning across government levels
Spatial planning is a public duty governed by legal regulations. The competencies for spatial planning primarily reside at the national and regional levels, where a variety of practices and systems are utilised, stemming from diverse planning traditions and customs.
The EU itself has indeed no general competence in this subject, but it possesses shared competencies in related areas such as energy and transport, therefore shaping the framework situation in which spatial plans are set up. A clear example is the 2023/1791 Energy Efficiency Directive that encourages the promotion of renewable energy systems. This entails the creation of proper infrastructure which has an impact on the planning of urban and regional areas.
A less famous and immediate example of how the EU influences spatial planning in its cities and regions can be found in the 2009/147/EC Birds Directive, which refers to the protection of all species of birds in the EU. Even if at first glance this directive is not related to spatial planning, what it entails is the creation of special protective areas for endangered species, which falls into the spatial plans of involved local and regional authorities.
Integrating energy and climate into spatial planning
Globally, integrating climate and energy considerations into spatial planning is increasingly vital. Many regions recognise the need for sustainable spatial strategies to combat climate change and transition to renewable energy. However, local authorities often lack an understanding of spatial planning's role in addressing climate change and existing tools are not properly used.
Research in the field is under development, with a leading example being the LIFE project IN-PLAN. The project aims to assist local and regional authorities in the integration of these plans into spatial planning through the development of a capacity-building programme and the IN-PLAN Practice, a guidebook on how to further integrate climate mitigation and adaptation aspects into spatial planning processes. The importance of sustainable spatial planning is not to be discussed, but what are exactly the benefits coming from the integration of energy, mobility, and climate plans into spatial plans?
The importance of an integrated approach
Spatial planning, to become effective as an instrument in addressing the challenges of climate change in European cities and regions, requires an integrated approach that takes into account the spillover effects and trade-offs between energy, climate, and mobility objectives.
For instance, the construction of a new road network as part of the new mobility plan of X municipality may collide with the same municipality’s climate targets of reducing GHG emissions for that year. In contrast, developing a smarter and faster public transportation system may produce positive results in terms of traffic and emissions, while saving green spaces.
Integrated spatial planning provides numerous opportunities to significantly support the transition away from fossil fuels. There are several ways in which spatial planning can contribute to climate protection:
- Facilitating sustainable transportation systems. Spatial planning can diminish dependence on individual motorised vehicles by boosting the usage of eco-friendly modes like public transit, bicycles, and walking. Concentrating residential areas, workplaces, businesses, and services in well-connected zones can shorten commutes and reduce the number of cars on the streets.
- Embracing compact urban development. By developing the existing land, spatial planning can reduce land consumption and energy usage. Compact cities allow people to conduct daily activities on foot or by bike instead of relying on long and exhausting car journeys.
- Encouraging energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure. Spatial planning can incentivise the adoption of energy-efficient building designs and infrastructure. By improving energy-efficient construction, the incorporation of renewable energy sources, and the integration of green technologies, energy consumption in buildings and infrastructure can be minimised.
- Safeguarding natural habitats. Land use planning can improve the safeguarding of natural habitats like forests, wetlands, and other green spaces. These habitats are crucial for carbon sequestration and improving air quality. The creation of urban green spaces can also mitigate urban heat island effects and enhance residents' quality of life.
Toward sustainable urban futures
The city of the future must be sustainable, powered by renewables, resilient to climate change, and responsive to its citizens’ needs. This can happen only through an attentive and efficient planning of its available spaces. The integration of energy, mobility, and climate plans into spatial planning is not only essential but also offers a multitude of benefits for cities and regions striving for sustainability and resilience to climate change challenges.
This integrated approach helps optimise resource use, reduce GHG emissions, enhance liveability and social inclusion, and promote economic prosperity. Integrated spatial planning requires a long-term vision and the commitment of a variety of stakeholders to rethink our spaces and the way cities live.
Let's shape tomorrow's cities today, with sustainable spatial planning paving the path toward a resilient and thriving future for the next generations.
This blog article is a contribution written by a guest author: Irene Biancani, Project Officer at FEDERENE, the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment
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- Data publicării
- 15 July 2024