ESPON UK Network, Communities and Local Government

& RTPI Development Planning Network

UK spatial development evidence base and the ESPON programme

Introduction to the ESPON programme

Cliff Hague

What is ESPON?

• European Observation Network on Territorial Development and Cohesion.

• Research that is jointly funded by 31 countries and the ERDF.

• ESPON 2006 and 2013.

Where does ESPON fit in?

Cohesion Reports and Cohesion Policy

Territorial Agenda

National / regional strategies

ESPON

What can ESPON offer to UK evidence base?

reports

Scenarios

ConceptsMethods

Typologies

Benchmarking & data

Targeted analysis

Indicators

Typologies

• 56 territorial typologies in ESPON 2006.

• ESPON 2013 project working to produce 8 typologies

1. Urban/metropolitan regions;

2. Rural regions;3. Sparsely populated

regions;4. Regions in industrial

transition;5. Cross-border regions;6. Mountainous regions;7. Islands;8. Coastal regions.

Research opportunities

• New round of projects tendered: deadline 11 November.

• Transnational Project Groups: research institutes from 3 + countries.

• UK ECP can help with partner search.

Euros14.91

Million.

Proposals invited from public bodies for “Targeted analysis” projects

• Partners from 3 or more countries.

• A European perspective

• Transferable results bringing added value for a broader user-group

• Concrete plan for implementation of findings

UK ESPON Contact Point Activity

• www.espon.org.uk

• Join the network – it’s free and you don’t have to be an RTPI member.

• Planning a project on Integrated territorial development strategies.

• Next workshop: Rural development, 9 Dec.

Warning – ESPON can change your outlook

I blame that ESPON typology of accessible rural regions.

Does this colour suit me? What do you think?

ESPON lets you see things differently.

No – it was their climate change project.