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Key research themes
1. How can spatial planning effectively integrate ecosystem services to support environmental sustainability and nature conservation?
This research theme investigates the incorporation of ecosystem services assessment and conservation principles into spatial planning processes to reconcile land use with ecological preservation and sustainability objectives. Understanding how spatial planning can mediate between development demands and ecosystem functionality is crucial for mitigating biodiversity loss, managing land use changes, and achieving sustainable territorial development.
Key finding: Develops a conceptual framework positioning spatial planning as an essential instrument in bridging the gap between land use changes and effective nature conservation in Turkey. The paper emphasizes that despite increasing... Read more
Key finding: Highlights Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a key procedural instrument to systematically incorporate ecosystem services into spatial planning decisions. The paper identifies stages in SEA where ecosystem service... Read more
Key finding: Demonstrates how landscape ecological principles, such as patch-corridor-matrix conceptualizations, can be adapted and applied in local spatial planning contexts to reduce biodiversity loss and enhance green infrastructure.... Read more
Key finding: Synthesizes international research emphasizing that integrating sustainability indicators and evaluation methods in land management within territorial planning enhances the protection of natural, agricultural, and urban... Read more
Key finding: Analyzes spatial and land use planning as central mechanisms for reconciling competing land demands and promoting sustainable land management. It underscores the importance of participatory, multi-sectoral approaches and... Read more
2. In what ways can transformative and governance-oriented spatial planning advance sustainable regional development?
This research area explores how innovative spatial planning processes, governance reforms, and institutional arrangements can foster sustainable, inclusive, and balanced territorial development. It focuses on transformative planning as a means to challenge traditional urban growth paradigms, integrate cultural and social dimensions, and enable adaptive governance that responds effectively to environmental, social, and economic crises.
Key finding: Through examination of the Apulia region's Territory-Landscape plan, the study illustrates how transformative spatial planning can disrupt established growth-oriented regional planning paradigms by embedding landscape... Read more
Key finding: Develops a theoretical lens situating spatial planning as 'governance of place,' emphasizing hybrid governance modes that coordinate diverse actors across scales to address complex spatial challenges. The paper calls for... Read more
Key finding: Reviews recent research highlighting spatial planning's role in fostering balanced territorial relations across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. The article identifies the increasing importance of collaborative,... Read more
Key finding: Proposes a multi-dimensional conceptual framework for land use governance that extends beyond formal planning systems to include fiscal policies, subsidies, and infrastructural programs that influence land management... Read more
Key finding: Examines how cultural contexts shape spatial planning systems, traditions, and practices, arguing that effective governance and planning must be culturally sensitive and acknowledge diverse socio-political and institutional... Read more
3. What are the critical methodological challenges and solutions in integrating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessments into spatial planning policies?
This theme focuses on methodological advancements and comparative studies of territorial versus consumption-based GHG accounting approaches to inform spatial planning decisions. The objective is to understand how GHG quantification methods can better capture spatial and behavioral dimensions of emissions to support climate-responsive spatial policies at sub-national levels.
Key finding: This study presents four European case analyses demonstrating the complementary use of territorial and consumption-based GHG accounting methods. It finds that while territorial accounting is suitable for internal monitoring,... Read more