EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Social aspects of EU territorial development

Social aspects of EU territorial development - ESPON Study 1.4.2

Introduction

“Social aspects of EU territorial development” investigates the interrelationship between social and territorial development. The aim is to integrate social aspects in the territorial analysis, as territorial development equally affects spaces (varying from cities to cross border regions), and people who live in these spaces, and vice versa. Being a preparatory study, its task is to explore and evaluate the main elements of the forthcoming projects.

Description

The study focuses on four key social components of territorial development:

housing;
education and training;
employment and income distribution;
access to (social) services.

For each component, the study identifies key policies and the main challenges. The important concepts are explained and elaborated on. Indicators are developed, to support a future territorial analysis of social aspects, in relation to territorial development objectives of cohesion, balance, sustainability, attractiveness and competitiveness.

EU involvement

The project was launched in the framework of the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (the ESPON programme) which is financed by the EU Community Initiative INTERREG IIIB.

Conclusions

“The” European Social Model does not exist; rather there is a variety of different policies in existence. The organisation of social policies differs from country to country. This is why it is difficult to compare the social security systems in the countries of the EU29.
Differences in the various systems represent obstacles regarding the responsibility for creating social cohesion. The hypothesis has emerged that the national state as well as the regions pursue “beggar-thy-neighbour” and “NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard)” strategies in Europe – with an increase of social disparities rather than social cohesion as a consequence.
There is a fragmented knowledge about the relationships between social aspects and territorial development. The researchers suggest two further research projects:

Project 1: The impact of education and child care on regional employment, migration and territorial cohesion

Project 2: The relationship of social aspects of territorial development in theory and practice in typical regional territorial settings

Contact info

Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR)
Erich Dallhammer, tel. +43 1 533 87 47 51

Publication date

01/06/2006

Researcher

ESPON Transnational Project Group on Social aspects of EU territorial development

Links

Read the report on the ESPON website The ESPON Programme Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Social inclusion & integration, Housing