Week 5 / EU Regional Planning

Tutorial Activity / Week 5

Similarities in between the EU and Australian Regional Planning Framework

As outlined in Week 3 lecture, key goals of contemporary regional planning within Australia;

- Implementation - achieve equity, growth and balance.

- Regional economic development - create investment value

- Local planning and co-ordination - avoid conflict and strive for cohesiveness.

According to European Commission website ; Key goals of the EU Regional planning policy are as follows ;

- Convergence - to eliminate disparities between regions. Some regions have a far higher GDP than others, this is to be eliminated by the use of cohesion policies. These policies aim to increase job creation, help business development etc.

- Regional Competitiveness and employment - aims to "create jobs by promoting competitiveness and making the regions concerned more attractive to businesses and investors." It aims to aid the wealthier regions in performing better - to benefit the whole of Europe, but also aid the remaining areas affected by poverty.

- Territorial Cooperation - aims to create cooperation across borders.

Obvious similarities in these two frameworks are elements such as co-ordination and cohesion between all regions as well as countries involved. Stimulating regional economies is also a similarity between frameworks, with the EU focusing on the elimination of disparities between countries, and Australia focusing on creating investment across the regional economies. 

The SEQ regional plan aims to assist in the growth and development of rural regions which have the potential for further development, such areas include the Southern and South - Western Corridors. These areas will be subject to new infrastructure, housing and business developments. In the same fashion, the EU regional framework outlines its aim to eliminate disparities between regions.

In terms of spatial planning, the ESDP aims for a polycentric urban form, with a strong rural relationship, as well as promotes broader employment through a more balanced spatial structure. Similarities can be drawn here with the SEQ Regional Plan, this plan outline goals for polycentric network of activity centers, each belonging to a hierarchy of size and function. Moreover these new activity centers will also aim to conserve rural land by the use of compact urban form.

Differences in regional planning framework - Australian and EU - and lessons to be learnt

Structure of Governance : Directive Regional Planning vs. Supernational Regionalism

Australia's regional planning framework can be labeled as "directive regional planning" (Mayere, et al. 2008), here a central government addresses regional plans for sub-national area, and also enforces them on local governments.  This is not the case in the framework of the EU, here "supernational regionalism" (Mayere, et al. 2008) takes place. This structure sees a decentralized, supernational institution providing funding to national governments to aid in regional efforts. This structure of governance also aids in creating inter-regional co-operation, promoting knowledge and experience exchange as well as networking (Mayere, et al. 2008).

References

European Commission, Regional Policy. http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/how/index_en.cfm#2.

Mayere, Severine and Heywood, Philip R. and Margerum, Richard (2008) 

Governance and effectiveness in regional planning: an analysis of North American, 

European, and Australasian practice. In: ACSP-AESOP 4th Joint Congress : Bridging 

the Divide : Celebrating the City, 6-11 July 2008, University of Illinois, Chicago

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/25952/1/c25952.pdf