Forschungsabteilung 1
ESPON 4.1.3
Feasibility study on monitoring territorial development
based on ESPON key indicators
An international research project funded by the European Commission under the framework of the ESPON 2006 Programme and represents a Scientific Briefing and Networking project under strand 4
Duration: June 2006 to October 2006
The Issue
Within the framework of the ESPON 2006 Programme, ESPON project 4.1.3 was concerned with the identification of key indicators useful for an efficient European spatial monitoring system and aimed at the provision of a tentative European Spatial Monitoring Report. Due to its future orientation of European spatial monitoring, this ESPON project covered not only the EU 25 plus Bulgaria and Romania as well as Norway and Switzerland but also neighbouring countries. As a preparatory study this project was part of strand four of the ESPON 2006 programme, which dealt with 'Research briefing and networking'.
The Project
Within the ESPON 2006 Programme the variety of projects has come up with a vast number of indicators which have been considered to be crucial for the description and analysis of territorial trends with respect to the corresponding theme. ESPON project 4.1.3 built on a process of key indicator selection initiated by the coordinating ESPON projects 3.1 and 3.2. These projects developed a list of so-called core indicators – roughly including 100 indicators – which consisted of a selection of indicators proposed by the different projects.
But the concentration on politically oriented spatial monitoring, which needs ongoing information at an early stage, could not be done with this complete range of spatial information. A selection of indicators was necessary – so to speak a short list of spatial key indicators. These indicators needed to consider not only the thematic fields under consideration but simultaneously they also needed to be related to spatial policy objectives.
In this sense ESPON project 4.1.3 was asked to select and identify an appropriate set of indicators on the basis of ESPON results. This included the further improvement of existing ESPON efforts already undertaken, to some extent in form of indicators and partly in form of territorial evidence descriptions.
Under consideration of the policy debate on the state and the perspective of the EU, the ESDP in relation to the Lisbon strategy, the policy fields identified within the respective indicator discussion in ESPON were as follows:
- Balanced distribution of population, wealth, cities, etc.
- Assets for global competitiveness
- Innovative knowledge society
- Diversified regional economies
- Sustainable transport and energy
- Sustainable settlement structures
- Socially inclusive society and space
- Healthy environment and hazard prevention
- Diversified cultural heritage and identities
- Territorially oriented governance
The work on the identification of key indicator led to a differentiation between available suitable indicators which fed into an outline for a potential future European Spatial Monitoring Report. These indicators were complemented by so-called wish-list indicators, which appeared to be even more useful for European spatial monitoring.
The final report with all main results is available at http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_ESPON2006Projects/
Menu_ScientificBriefingNetworking/indicators.html
The Partnership
The project brought together partners from different areas of research and consisted of the following institutions:
- Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) – Germany (Lead Partner)
- Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IRS) – Germany
- Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR) – Austria
- Institut de Gestion de l’Environnement & Aménagement du Territoire (IGEAT), Université Libre de Bruxelles – Belgium
- Nordic Centre for Spatial Development (NODREGIO) – Sweden
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering (DIG) – Italy
- TAURUS Institute at Trier University (TAURUS) – Germany
Contact at the IRS
Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Kujath
Phone +49-3362/793-159
e-mail: kujathh_at_irs-net.de
Dr. Sabine Zillmer
Phone +49-3362/793-186
e-mail: zillmers_at_irs-net.de
Kristine Müller
Phone +49-3362/793-157
e-mail: muellerk_at_irs-net.de
