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Marine spatial planning

Research on marine spatial planning

This edition of Planning Research Matters focusses on the globally important emerging field of marine spatial planning (MSP) – the extension of land use planning to marine space.

We are pleased to feature research projects and Interface essays by academics based at five RTPI-accredited planning schools with specialisms in MSP - Queen’s University Belfast, University College Cork, Newcastle University, Ulster University and the University of Liverpool.

We begin with an Interface collection of essays exploring who benefits from the increasingly widespread adoption of MSP.

We then present a wide range of research project outputs from 2023 to 2025. Topics include community engagement for renewables development in coastal England, transboundary knowledge exchange for MSP in the Irish Sea, marine licencing in England, Independent Investigation for MSP in the UK, offshore wind energy development in the Celtic Sea, and maritime ecosystem conservation in European seas.

Marine spatial planning
View all our research themes
A red and white boat heading towards lobster pots stacked neatly on a wooden pier on a blue sea with grey-blue sky.
Interface: Winners and losers in marine spatial planning

A collection of essays by academics and practitioners from around the world on the potential negative and unfair impacts of marine spatial planning.
White wind turbine in the harbour beside the River Blyth, reflected in blue calm water with a blue and white partly cloudy sky.
Project Sparks: creating Blyth’s net zero policy story

Blyth, Northumberland has pioneered renewable energy in the UK and beyond, yet local people feel "left behind". This study explores creative engagement solutions.
A small fishing boat with a yellow mass setting off towards a calm dark blue open sea with a lighter blue sky
Project: Independent Investigation in marine spatial planning

This research reviews the place of Independent Investigation in the marine planning process in the UK.
Clumps of green seagrass growing at a shallow depth with bright turquoise seawater above.
Project: Ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning and conservation in European Seas

Part of MarinePlan, a project to align marine spatial planning with biodiversity conservation and restoration.
Shipping containers and cranes on a large harbour floor with dark grey sea and bright sunrise beyond.
Project: From marine plans to marine licences: a weak link in the English system?

With the first generation of marine plans now completed for English waters, attention turns to implementation.
Three sailors standing on the edge of a boat on a dark grey sea with light blue and white partially cloudy sky, one sailor holds a chart and is pointing to the distance.
Project: Transboundary marine spatial planning in the Irish Sea

This research looks at the need for a more coherent approach to marine spatial planning in the Irish Sea.
Four huge offshore wind turbines with white and red blades and white and yellow masts, as well as a substation, and a ship in the foreground that looks very small in comparison.
Project: Governance of offshore wind energy development in the Celtic Sea

A case study within PERMAGOV, a project to improve marine governance across European Seas.