A Future for the European Patchwork: Cohesion through Spatial Planning since 1990

This volume explores the often-overlooked role of spatial and urban planning in fostering unity on the local, national, and international scales. 

The issue of spatial cohesion is a major concern not only for supranational entities such as the EU, but also for nation-states and regions. Spatial and urban planners have long relied on symbolic, economic, and social policies to foster cohesion in cities and regions. However, amid contemporary tensions at both the international and domestic levels, efforts to create or maintain spatial cohesion demand innovative approaches. This book asks to what extent spatial and urban planning―which the authors claim encompasses a broader set of institutions and attitudes than merely sectoral policies―have contributed to societal cohesion over the past thirty years. It considers how these changes have unfolded at European, intergovernmental, national, and regional levels, and during periods of profound transformation across all spatial scales.

The contributions demonstrate that spatial cohesion policies play a significant role in fostering societal unity, even beyond national borders, yet they have too often been overlooked or undervalued.

Detlef Briesen is a social scientist and historian. He teaches at Justus Liebig University Giessen and at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi. 

Wendelin Strubelt is a social scientist in the field of urban and regional sociology. Before his retirement in 2008, he was vice president and professor of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning in Germany.