ESPON UK Network Bulletin 7/2012

Network news

ESPON open seminar presentations available

ESPON's open seminar took place in Aalborg, Denmark, on 13 and 14 June 2012. It considered the Common Strategic Framework and the role that ESPON can play in providing evidence and ideas. Presentations from the event are now online, including presentations from John Holden (New Economy) on key drivers for economic development in Manchester and Chris Collinge (Birmingham University) on regional integrated strategies in Europe.

ESPON call for tender

ESPON has announced a call for tender for an ESPON cartographic language project. The purpose of the project is to develop a unique ESPON cartographic language which can be used for cartographic representations of European territorial structures, trends, policy impacts etc. and be used as a practical guide for ESPON cartography. The maximum budget available is 75, 000 and tenders must be submitted by 27 July 2012.

New ESPON projects and reports

A number of new reportsare now available on the ESPON website. EATIA's draft final report is online, which includes generic guidance on territorial impact assessment aimed at supporting national, regional local administrations in anticipating the potential positive and negative impacts of EU directives in their area. Presentations are also available from a recent workshop on TIA which demonstrated some of the EATIA findings.

The GEOSPECS draft final report has also been published, and the fourth GEOSPECS newsletter is now online. The newsletter provides a useful summary of some of the main points from the report, and outlines a number of economic, social, environmental themes which have emerged in the research.

The sixth publication of the Territorial Observations series has been produced, focusing on regions and cities in the global economy. It makes use of results from a number of ESPON projects including TIGER (which has just delivered its draft final report), SIESTA and KIT to try to identify what potentials and challenges exist in Europe as places for global activity, and which territorial structures serve Europes competitiveness the best.

Two new projectsare now online. Growth Poles in South-East Europe (GROSEE) will examine Athens, Sofia and Bucharest and their relation to the core European development areas. ESPON Atlas on European Territorial Structures and Dynamics (ESPON Atlas) will present a comprehensive overview of key findings from Priority 1 and 2 projects, enabling comparisons between regions and understanding of territorial potentials and challenges.

Scottish NPF2 monitoring report uses ESPON evidence

The Scottish Government makes use of ESPON findings in its National Planning Framework 2 Monitoring Report 2012. It references the First ESPON 2013 Synthesis Report, which suggests that high speed rail could play a greater role in the development of a polycentric Europe, and notes that Edinburgh is an important centre for company headquarters in Europe. It also quotes the work of the UK ECP and draws on findings from the ReRisk project in suggesting that a green high-tech scenario would mean a focus towards rural development and new transnational grids connecting Scotlands offshore wind, wave and tidal power to the rest of the UK.

Europe in my region photo competition

The European Commission is holding a photo competition to showcase projects which have benefited from ERDF or Cohesion Funds. Entries can be submitted in two categories: My Project which is open to organisations which have benefited from EU regional funding and Eyewitness which is open to anyone living in the EU who photographs such a project. Winners will receive 1,000-worth of digital camera equipment and a trip for two to Brussels. Entries should be uploaded on to the Commission's Facebook page.

GRaBS named a RegioStars winner

The fifth annual RegioStars Awards attracted a record 107 applications, with just five projects receiving awards. One of this years winners is the GRaBS project (green and blue space adaptation for urban areas and eco-towns) which has been working with local communities to help them create healthier, safer and more pleasant environments in which to live in.

Inquiry into the effectiveness of LEPs

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Local Growth, LEPs and Enterprise Zones is calling for contributions from businesses, LEPs and local authorities to an inquiry into the effectiveness to date of LEPs in creating sustainable economic growth. The inquiry aims to identify what is and isnt working well to support LEPs, and why some LEPs are developing more quickly than others and what impact this has on economic growth. The deadline for submitting written evidence is 1 August 2012. Further details can be found in the terms of reference.

Region of the week

Commissioner Johannes Hahns region of the week is the Danube. Commissioner Hahn visited the region last week, one year after the launch of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region. Some of the regions priorities and examples of current projects being carried out under the Danube Strategy are highlighted in the feature.

Seasonal weather prediction in Europe

European scientists are now predicting weather a whole season ahead, helping to prepare against adverse weather conditions. Findings published in the journal Nature Climate Changesuggest that Europe could experience more summer heat waves such as those in 2003 and 2010. These extreme temperature summers might be considered prototypes of future summers under a warmer climate, and more understanding of such weather patterns can help policy-makers, practitioners and communities mitigate against and adapt to potential impacts of these changes. Find out more.

Other publications

Building the future we want

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published Signals 2012 - Building the future we want which brings together environmental issues including sustainability, green economy, governance and knowledge sharing to give a snapshot of the environmental debate in the coming year. This edition has been prepared in the context of Rio + 20 and offers creative solutions to preserve the environment.

Is Vienna the quintessential smart city?

An article published on the New Republic website suggests that Vienna is on the cutting edge of the smart city movement. There is a clear commitment to building a smart and sustainable region the city is being encouraged to rely more on public transport by the creation of new bicycle and tram lanes, and buildings have been retrofitted to reduce energy consumption. The article explains how the citys carbon reduction goals are forcing agencies to work together and are impacting on the Viennese approach to place-making. Read the full article. 

Latest issue of Land Lines published

The July issue of the Lincoln Institutes quarterly magazine, Land Lines, is now available. Articles examine subjects such as city revenues after the recession, value capture in Latin America, and collaborative approaches for tackling climate change. This issue also highlights recent Lincoln Institute publications including The Atlas of Urban Expansion and Planet of Cities.

Other events

World Urban Forum 6

UN Habitat is holding the World Urban Forum 6 in Naples, Italy, from 1-7 September 2012. The theme is the urban future, and the conference is the largest and most significant UN meeting on cities, drawing a large audience from the public and private sectors, academia and civil society. Issues relating to urban planning, equity and prosperity, productive cities and urban mobility will be debated during the event.

Europe matters European spatial planning, environmental policies and regional development

The EURECA project is holding its final conference on 20 September 2012 in The Netherlands. The event will present the main outcomes of the project, and discuss current issues within the field of spatial planning, environmental policy and regional development at the European level. Look at the conference website for further details.

European local democracy week

The theme of this years European local democracy week is human rights and inclusive communities. The week takes place between 15 and 21 October 2012, and aims to help local populations meet with their elected representatives and raise awareness of how local authorities work. Fill in the registration form to take part.