European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?

Contemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial solidarity aimed at balanced spatial development is a core principle of both spatial planning doctrines. Reviewing key planning documents, this artic...

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Main Authors: Malý Jiří, Mulíček Ondřej
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2016-03-01
Series:Moravian Geographical Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2016-0002
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author Malý Jiří
Mulíček Ondřej
author_facet Malý Jiří
Mulíček Ondřej
author_sort Malý Jiří
collection DOAJ
description Contemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial solidarity aimed at balanced spatial development is a core principle of both spatial planning doctrines. Reviewing key planning documents, this article compares territorial cohesion discourses in terms of their normative and analytical natures in order to critically evaluate the uniqueness and novelty of the current modern concept. In spite of ideological contradictions, a commonly-shared realisation of the importance of urban agglomerations as specific integrated spatial units and the need to improve living conditions in disadvantaged areas, are crucial characteristics for both spatial planning policies. Moreover, analytical spatial planning procedures are based on similar methods and lead to nearly identical results concerning the spatial pattern for one specific case settlement system (the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic). In this respect, the currently-emphasised territorial cohesion discourse is familiar to that in former socialist areas in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on these findings, spatial planning authorities should learn from the past in reflecting on the limitations and advantages of spatial planning in the socialist era.
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spelling doaj.art-bc2be70134aa400a9422beb53de8be1e2022-12-21T22:06:23ZengSciendoMoravian Geographical Reports1210-88122016-03-01241142610.1515/mgr-2016-0002mgr-2016-0002European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?Malý Jiří0Mulíček Ondřej1 Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicContemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial solidarity aimed at balanced spatial development is a core principle of both spatial planning doctrines. Reviewing key planning documents, this article compares territorial cohesion discourses in terms of their normative and analytical natures in order to critically evaluate the uniqueness and novelty of the current modern concept. In spite of ideological contradictions, a commonly-shared realisation of the importance of urban agglomerations as specific integrated spatial units and the need to improve living conditions in disadvantaged areas, are crucial characteristics for both spatial planning policies. Moreover, analytical spatial planning procedures are based on similar methods and lead to nearly identical results concerning the spatial pattern for one specific case settlement system (the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic). In this respect, the currently-emphasised territorial cohesion discourse is familiar to that in former socialist areas in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on these findings, spatial planning authorities should learn from the past in reflecting on the limitations and advantages of spatial planning in the socialist era.https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2016-0002territorial cohesionsocialist central planningsettlement systemseuropean unionczech republic
spellingShingle Malý Jiří
Mulíček Ondřej
European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
Moravian Geographical Reports
territorial cohesion
socialist central planning
settlement systems
european union
czech republic
title European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
title_full European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
title_fullStr European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
title_full_unstemmed European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
title_short European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?
title_sort european territorial cohesion policies parallels to socialist central planning
topic territorial cohesion
socialist central planning
settlement systems
european union
czech republic
url https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2016-0002
work_keys_str_mv AT malyjiri europeanterritorialcohesionpoliciesparallelstosocialistcentralplanning
AT mulicekondrej europeanterritorialcohesionpoliciesparallelstosocialistcentralplanning