European Spatial Research and Policy

Foreword: Framing the vertical of this Special Issue

Antonia Milbert — 2024-02-07

Verticalising the multi-level analysis of urban and spatial development across geographies

Antonia Milbert — 2024-02-07

Making the analysis of urban and spatial development more acceptable by all levels of analysis and governance requires a multi-level – or in other words vertical – approach to indicators measuring development paths. The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals offers a promising chance to establish, maintain, and further develop a monitoring system that is supported by all levels involved, as well as all stakeholder groups and individuals across all levels. First experiences gathered in a nation (Germany) and bilateral and supranational context (Germany, Europe, and India) deliver recommendations for research and practice, and might thus show a possible way to attain successfully this goal.

A global perspective on the value of multi-level analysis as an enabler for achieving SDGs

Robert Ndugwa — 2024-02-07

With more than 50 percent of the global population living in urban areas, Sustainable Development Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities provides a critical lever for us to realise all other SDG goals. This calls for tracking urban spatial development at various levels to facilitate a better understanding of the role, amongst others, of remote sensing data in the field of sustainable urban development and services of general interest to be provided by authorities. Urbanisation patterns may thus be retraced, but also modelled in order to provide evidence for decision makers. Without proper planning, the spatial impacts of urbanisation and subsequent spatial inequalities are more likely to affect disadvantaged groups most. In the last decade of the SDGs, the use of data to inform policies is very critical, and such evidence needs to be anchored in multi-level analysis and ensure vertical and horizontal applications at all governance levels.

Adding value by national reporting to sustainability approaches of the local-regional level: The case of Germany

Oliver Peters — 2024-02-07

Global socio-environmental challenges and local impacts, global agendas, and local implementation: multi-level governance has never been more important – or more complex. To keep track of progress and the challenges in sustainable urban development, monitoring systems at all levels are at different stages of development and in need of harmonisation. In this context, national reporting can link the global level with the local one by identifying and reviewing framework conditions, and setting indicator and data standards for cities, counties, and municipalities. This raises questions about the awareness of different issues, resource imbalances and, not least, the effectiveness of standardised monitoring. This paper provides valuable insights into the lessons learned from the preparation of the first national progress report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The reflections could support further governance and monitoring efforts not only at the national level but also across all levels.

Multi-level territorial monitoring in Switzerland as a case in federalism and multi-polarity

Marco Kellenberger — 2024-02-07

In Switzerland, spatial observation and monitoring systems are very much defined and implemented at the various levels of government. This takes into account the fact that the main challenges and issues differ greatly not only between the levels of government but also regionally. The exchange processes between the levels of state, as well as between the various actors at the respective levels are interwoven in many ways, and this peculiarity of political work is also reflected in the implementation of indicator and monitoring systems. Although strongly characterised by the subsidiarity and independence of the respective level, a lively and well-balanced interaction between different actors can also be observed. This results in a somewhat multipolar picture within and across the levels, with a strong focus on cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation. The main goal of this article is to give an insight into and to deepen the understanding of the main characteristics and processes, dependencies, and interactions in the context of territorial monitoring in Switzerland. The insight is provided from a rather subjective perspective and based on a long-time institutional experience in this field.

Identifying exurbs: A multi-criteria approach for Germany

Philipp Gareis — 2024-02-07

The debate about exurbanites and exurbs has ever been an Anglo-American phenomenon. Due to the limitless space for growth and the individual preferences of living in single-family homes, the exurban census tracts were the fastest growing urban type in the USA for several decades. The increase in highway infrastructure lead to an auto-centric development of land and an ongoing urban sprawl in search for natural amenities and affordable housing. This was not the case in Europe for a long time as Europeans preferred to live closer to the place of work and the historically grown structures of the urban development. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the restructuring of a new office culture with remote work as the new condition and growing preferences for more living space and green amenities, exurbs could also evolve in the European context. In this investigation, the authors try to identify exurbs in the German context based on a multi-criteria analysis. We find that they are mostly located in the east and north of Germany around Hamburg and Berlin, and to a minor extent to the west and south of Germany. While there has not been a significant increase of exurbs in the past years, the question remains whether the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the exurbanisation and the related issues to a sustainable urban development according to SDG 11. Further research on the characteristics of exurbs is needed to provide additional policy recommendations and monitor the development of potential exurbs in the future.

Impact of learning city networks on multi-level urban development and transformation processes

Andrea Jonas — 2024-02-07

Learning city networks are real-time laboratories related to national and local urban development policies. In order to support learning city networks, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) together with the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and partner cities have developed and further enhanced the multi-level D4UC (Dialogues for Urban Change) Method since 2012. This method makes an international exchange on the specificities of urban transformation processes, based on purposeful projects, possible for participating cities. The article discusses methods and lessons learned and is framed within a theoretical background of learning networks.

Aging in place and elderly mobility habits: Evidence from Italian national surveys

Federica Rossi — 2024-02-07

The aim of the paper is to provide an empirical framework of the ageing process in Italy, with a focus on aging in place and mobility behaviour of the elderly, as emerging from two national surveys: the “Aspects of Daily Life” survey by ISTAT and the ISFORT mobility survey. Results show that the Italian cities and towns are sufficiently age-friendly, with some improvement opportunities to be implemented. Loneliness and isolation represent a warning sign, hindering the aging in place. Finally, the study confirms that the Italian older adults use public transport only a few times, in favour of private cars.

Factors affecting tourist visits to archaeological sites in Turkey: A spatial regression analysis

Özge Deniz Toköz — 2024-02-07

The study focuses on the factors affecting visitor numbers to archaeological sites in Turkey. The aim is to investigate the geographical, economic, and demographic factors underlying the visits using statistical methods. The study covers 117 archaeological site visits in 2019. Although existing studies analysed determinants of visits to archaeological sites of different countries, the evidence needs to be explicit. Methodologically, the classical linear regression models are primarily applied in the literature, whereas the incorporation of spatial dependence has largely been ignored. This study contributes to the literature by employing demographic, economic, and climatic factors and spatial relations between the sites. Therefore, spatial autoregressive (SAR) and spatial error models (SEM) are developed in the analyses. According to the results, WHL inscription and distance to the city centre are crucial factors for the visits. In addition, the study emphasizes the significant negative effect of spatial dependence on visitor numbers of archaeological sites near each other.

From green fingers and green ring to green mitten: Helsinki’s polycentric urbanisation and its impact on green structure

Richard leBrasseur — 2024-02-07

Urbanisation changes the landscape and fragments spatial structures including greenspaces across much of the world and Europe. The resultant impacts and morphological characteristics are understudied within peri-urban regions of cities. This study analysed the spatial qualities and relationship among peri-urban greenspaces, green structure, and urban form within the Greater Helsinki Region of Finland. Results illustrate how the existing ‘Green Fingers’ have impacted urban development patterns. Though the region includes many fragmented greenspaces, an overall interconnected and coherent intermixed green structure remains. This spatial component faces continued threats; managing the growth of peri-urban regions is critical to maintaining a green structure’s functional and morphological benefits.

Tourist’s motivations to visit the Western Region of Portugal

Daniela Amorim — 2024-02-07

The Western Region, located in the Central Region of Portugal, has a vast and rich natural and cultural heritage allowing a wide range of tourist experiences. Consequently, the aim of this study is to analyse the tourist interests and motivations that lead tourists to visit the Western Region of mainland Portugal. In 2021, 355 individuals were surveyed through a questionnaire survey, mostly living in mainland Portugal. The results reveal that the preferences of respondents for the types of tourism they most like or would like to undergo in the Western Region are Sun and Sea Tourism, Leisure Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Adventure and Nature Tourism, and Gastronomic Tourism. This study may contribute to a better understanding of the tourists’ motivations to visit the Western Region, and may be an important contribution to the tourism management entities, in order for them to enhance and/or improve their offers in this region of Portugal.

Income inequalities and poverty in Slovakia: Development and changes

Anton Michálek — 2024-02-07

Slovakia is a suitable object for the study of income inequalities. The dynamic development of the country in recent years has significantly changed the social situation of its inhabitants. This development made visible the already considerable inequalities of income and wealth at the regional level (rich West and poor East), between the city and the countryside (richer cities and poorer lagging countryside), but also among the considerably wealthy elite and marginalised populations. This contribution has three objectives. The first is to capture the development of income inequality and poverty in Slovakia, the second is to capture the distribution of income at different geographic scales, and the third is to identify low-income regions.

Spatial planning needs towards Copernicus Land Monitoring Services: Case studies from Poland and Norway

Monika Cysek-Pawlak — 2024-02-07

The objective of this study is to identify the needs related to geospatial LC, LU, and LCLUC information for spatial planning in Poland and Norway, and examine the usefulness of CLMS products in the context of these planning systems. The research has conducted based on a comparative analysis of two planning systems, to indicate areas where CLMS can improve or supplement national spatial data. The study shows that CLMS can provide information on up-to-date spatial data showing actual LC/LU/LCLUC, but that the degree of detail and the accuracy may be insufficient. CLMS data is harmonised across Europe and thus meets the need expressed by international organisations, for data that are consistent at a continental level. This is not a requirement in national planning systems in Poland and Norway, where the needs are regulated by national legislation. The thematic and geometric accuracy of national data sources are usually better than the data provided by CLMS, but CLMS might fill gaps when specific topics are missing in national mapping programs.