Sustainable land-use

Programme 2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Date of latest update: 2024-05-18

Description

Description (EN):

Land is a finite resource and the way it is used is one of the principal drivers of environmental change. Increasing land take affects fertile agricultural land, puts biodiversity at risk, increases the risk of flooding and water scarcity and contributes to both the causes and effects of global warming. Moreover, the effects of land take differ depending on the value, quality and functionality of the land.The main objective of this service on sustainable land-use is to build on existing key relevant studies and projects and suggest measures on how sustainable land use can be promoted and how land-take, soil sealing and urban sprawl can be avoided, reduced and compensated in Europe, its cities and regions. The starting hypothesis is that a sustainable use of land would entail that compact and denser urban development would lead to less need for transport, less energy use and more open spaces enhancing the quality of life thus generating benefits and requiring less costs

Achievements (EN):

The sustainability of land-use developments is generally discussed within the debate on the effects of urban sprawl versus containment. After engaging with this literature, the ESPON SUPER project team have chosen to distinguish between three main urban forms: compact, polycentric and diffuse. This provides a richer and less normative basis to launch a discussion on urban form. All three types of urban form can currently be seen in Europe. Compact cities are often national capitals and are often supported by containment policies that attempt to direct urban development inwards, through regeneration, infill or redevelopment. Polycentric urban regions are the most common type in Europe, often promoted by spatial planning policies oriented towards the creation of subcentres, such as garden cities or transit-oriented development. Finally, diffuse urbanization is visible along rural roads and areas of natural beauty such as mountains and coasts, often stimulated by policies facilitating private car use (e.g. road infrastructure provision) and homeownership. The SUPER scenario storylines are outlined below: The Compact Scenario: The compact scenario posits that starting in 2020, a policy of urban containment is promoted throughout Europe to avoid the wasteful, haphazard urbanization which had resulted in the destruction of natural resources and undermined the vitality of cities. To achieve this, a selection was made from policies that had proved successful in the past plus some innovations. The result was that new construction occurred near large cities and 30% of the new living and working space was created within the existing urban fabric. By 2050, all new urbanization was in the form of redevelopment, regeneration or infill. The Polycentric Scenario: The polycentric scenario posits that starting in 2020, a policy of urban clustering is promoted throughout Europe to avoid both the disadvantages of haphazard urbanization, which had resulted in the destruction of natural resources and undermined the vitality of cities and urban containment which would create big-city problems. A careful selection was made from sustainable urban development policies that had proved successful in the past plus some innovations. The result was that about 20% of new construction occurred in the existing urban fabric and/or near rail stations. By 2050, public transportation and urban development were increasingly built in conjunction, resulting in more incentives to increase densities. The Diffuse Scenario: The diffuse scenario posits that starting in 2020, a policy of urban diffusion is promoted throughout Europe to allow and encourage countryside living. It was felt that citizens should have more control over where and how they wanted to live. To achieve this ideal, planning bureaucracies were dismantled and land-use decisions simplified. Self-empowerment was stimulated by generous fiscal arrangements for homebuilding, private transport and energy independence. The result was that mostly new construction occurred along existing roadways in low densities – much of the development being detached family homes or second homes. By 2050, low-density urban functions had displaced agriculture in high-growth regions. These scenarios offer policymakers a way to talk about their region’s future. To aid this discussion, the SUPER project fed the parameters of each scenario into a land-allocation model, which presented which land would be urbanized in 2050 according to the scenario logic as well as the magnitude and density of this development. The performance of each scenario was also assessed with respect to sustainability, indicating that a number of trade-offs exist between and within its three dimensions (economic, ecological and social). The SUPER scenarios have already been used to inform Luxembourg’s national planning policy.

Website: https://archive.espon.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The objective of this service is to build on key relevant studies and projects as mentioned in the previous section and suggest measures on how sustainable land use can be promoted and how land-take, soil sealing and urban sprawl can be avoided, reduced and compensated in Europe, its cities and regions. The starting hypothesis is that a sustainable use of land would entail that compact and denser urban development would lead to less need for transport, less energy use and more open spaces enhancing the quality of life thus generating benefits and requiring less costs. More concretely, the objective of this activity is to receive answers to the following key policy questions: a. What does the current European land use look like? Which cities and regions in Europe show the biggest challenges in terms of sustainable land use, land take and urban sprawl? Which regions and cities showed positive developments on this respect? What factors are responsible for the main changes over the past 28 years and which measures already implemented seem to play a role? b. What are the costs and benefits (economic, social, ecological and territorial effects) of 1) unconstrained land-take (as appeared during the last 10 years) and 2) limiting land-take towards no net land take by 2050. How are these effects linked to the value or quality of land taken? For instance, urban heat, particulate matter, health, climate change, land value, ecosystem services, recreation, total area, etc. c. Which (spatial) strategies, instruments and mechanisms (financial, fiscal and economic) could be used, at national, regional and local level, to limit and contain urban sprawl, to contribute to the EU-wide objective for no net land-take by 2050 and its national targets, to promote sustainable land use and leading towards a more balanced territorial development, maintaining green and open spaces in urban areas and transcending administrative and governmental borders? How can the private sector and public-private collaboration play a role? And how can we benefit economically from measures to avoid further land take? d. What determines the success of policy interventions and measures aimed at reducing land take and containing urban sprawl? e. How does territorial cohesion policy and specific sectoral policies, such as on air-quality or the European Single Market, influence urban sprawl and land-take? And what recommendations towards European Cohesion Policy and sectoral policies could be made so that they discourage further land-take and urban sprawl? The main outcomes of the service should be: - Evidence and maps on the main challenges, achievements and development trends for the past 28 years of European regions and cities in relation to land-use patterns, land-take, urban sprawl and sustainable land use; - Evidence on the various effects of land-take; - Evidence on policies, strategies, instruments and mechanisms that on the one hand lead to (un)intended changes of the use of land and on the other hand could be used by policy makers at various geographical levels to increase and stimulate the sustainable use of land and to avoid land-take and urban sprawl; - Case studies on best practices and large challenges of sustainable land use describing and discussing existing strategies, policies and mechanisms at national/ regional/ local scale to promote sustainable land use and minimize land take; - A handbook comprising recommendations for setting-up policies and measures at local, regional and national level using effective policy interventions, place based approaches, enhanced territorial cooperation and tailor-made solutions for specific areas such as cross-border, urban, islands and mountains, to minimise the negative effects of land-take and soil-sealing and maximise the sustainable use of land; - Recommendations for EU level policies including Cohesion policy to promote sustainable land-use. The geographical coverage of the study should encompass all the countries participating in the ESPON 2020 Cooperation Programme. Furthermore, the service provider should assess the data situation for the EU Candidate Countries (i.e. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Montenegro) and/or the other countries of the Western Balkans (i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244), and report their findings in the inception delivery. Depending on the respective data situation these countries should then be included in the analysis, preferably at regional level.

Thematic information

Urban development Sustainable management of natural resources Regional planning and development

Specific Objective: Enhanced European territorial evidence production through applied research and analyses

Thematic Objective:

(11) enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the ERDF, and in support of actions under the ESF to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration.

Investment Priority: (11 ETC) ETC specific for transnational cooperation: enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration by developing and coordinating macro-regional and sea-basin strategies

Partners (7)

Lead Partner: PBL Netherlands

Address: Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594AV The Hague, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Politecnico di Torino

Name: Politecnico di Torino

Address: Viale Mattioli 39, 10125 Turin, Italy

Legal status: public

BBSR

Name: BBSR

Address: Deichmanns Aue 31-37, D-53179 Bonn, Germany

Legal status: public

ӦIR GmbH

Name: ӦIR GmbH

Address: Franz-Josefs-Kai 27, A-1010 Vienna, Austria

Legal status: private

University of Valencia

Name: University of Valencia

Address: Av. Blasco Ibanez 13 , 46010 Valencia, Spain

Legal status: public

Urbanex

Name: Urbanex

Address: Vlaška 95, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Legal status: private

University of Warsaw

Name: University of Warsaw

Address: Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland

Legal status: public

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Polytechnic of Turin

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

PBL Netherlands

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

BBSR

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

Ӧir GmbH

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

Urbanex

Sustainable land-use

Partners and Projects info

Uniwersytet Warszawski

Sustainable land-use

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Sustainable land-use

Project acronym: SUPER

Project start date: 2019-01-31

Project end date: 2020-12-15

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 719 050.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 587 970.06

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 587 970.06.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Videos / films

Marjan van Herwijnen: Sustainable Urbanisation and land-use Practices in European Regions

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2019-07-02

Languages: en

David Evers: Sustainable Urbanisation and land-use Practices in European Regions

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2019-07-02

Languages: en

Brochures / magazines / manuals

A guide to sustainable urbanisation and land use

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Brochure / magazine / manual

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Presentations

A guide to sustainable urbanisation and land use

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Presentation

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Reports

Main Report

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Synthesis Report

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 1 - Evidence on developments

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 2 - Evidence on interventions

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.1 - Case study selection and methods

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.2 - Case study AT-Vorarlberg Annex

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.3 - Case study BE-Flanders

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.4 - Case study CH-CantonAargau

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.5 - Case study DE-30ha

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.6 - Case study ES-Valencia

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.7 - Case study HR-Coastal

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.8 - Case study IT - Bassa Romagna

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.9 - Case study NL-Ladder

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.10 - Case study PL-ITI

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.11 - Case study RO-Constanta

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.12 - Case study SE-Stockholm

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 3.13 - Case study comparative analysis

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 4 - Sustainability assessment and scenarios

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-11-06

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Annex 2a - Intervention Database

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://www.espon.eu/super

Publication date: 2021-02-28

Document date: 2020-12-15

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 ESPON 2020

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2024-03-04

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

68 / 69 (98.55%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

353 / 370 (95.41%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Data from 3 projects ((MRS. ESPON TOOL, SoET and CPS 2.0) was retrieved by Interact from the programme´s website on the 2024-03-01. Regarding partners only data only main partners is available. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.espon.eu), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-09-21 and 2023-01-03.

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Sustainable land-use

Description

Thematic information

Partners (7)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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