Cross-national comparison of spatial planning systems: a review of experience in Europe

Cross-national comparison of spatial planning systems involves considerable, conceptual, methodological and practical challenges, involving conceptual equivalence between cultures and languages, the continual reform of planning systems and the importance of actual practice as well as formal structures. Most comparative studies in Europe have concentrated the method of investigation on documentary evidence of formal administrative structures and to a lesser extent actual practices and change over time. Several other studies have collected similar data for systems and created compilations of information with little comparative content. The ESPON COMPASS project examined change in planning systems over a sixteen-year period in both the formal arrangements and actual practice, including integration with sectoral policies, adaptability, citizen engagement and the effects of Europeanisation. The project gathered data through questionnaire surveys of nominated country experts, and in-depth case studies in five European regions, all of which was subject to extensive quality control to improve reliability and trustworthiness of findings.