Website: ESPON. European Spatial Planning Observation Network

The European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) is set up to support policy development and to build a European scientific community in the field of territorial development. The main aim is to increase the general body of knowledge about territorial structures, trends and policy impacts in an enlarged European Union.

The ESPON 2013 Programme, the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion, was adopted by the European Commission on 7 November 2007.

The mission of the ESPON 2013 Programme is to:

'Support policy development in relation to the aim of territorial cohesion and a harmonious development of the European territory by (1) providing comparable information, evidence, analyses and scenarios on territorial dynamics and (2) revealing territorial capital and potentials for development of regions and larger territories contributing to European competitiveness, territorial cooperation and a sustainable and balanced development'.

• Primary Source

Council of Europe: Council of Europe European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional/Spatial Planning (CEMAT) http://www.coe.int/t/dgap/localdemocracy/cemat/default_en.asp

Wikipedia: Spatial planning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_planning

European Journal of Spatial Development http://www.nordregio.se/EJSD/

Website: European Spatial Planning Resource and Information Database (ESPRID) http://www.esprid.org/

Blog: European Spatial Planning Perspective. Who? What? Why?: What is this thing called “European spatial planning”?, March 2012 http://alexghita.eu/blog/what-is-this-thing-called-european-spatial-planning/

ESPON: SIESTA - Spatial indicators for a Europe 2020 Strategy Territorial Analysis http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_AppliedResearch/siesta.html

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