Planning Cultures in Europe: Decoding Cultural Phenomena in Urban and Regional Planning

Planning systems and traditions, concepts and decisions, are always influenced by different cultural contexts and societal backgrounds. The differences between spatial development and planning practices among the member states of the EU reflect the different cultural values, rules and attitudes and their (ethical, critical and reflexive) integration into planning. These differences in spatial perception and planning systems and processes can complicate European-wide collaborations, and even within a national context, there can be many cultural differences between regions. These differences can be seen as obstacles in the way of realizing genuine cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation and a better understanding of them can enrich and stimulate public debate and encourage collaborative planning processes.Bringing together an interdisciplinary team of leading academics from across the EU, this book provides a systematic comparison of planning cultures using a rigorous methodology. It first of all examines the concept of planning culture and which indicators are necessary or helpful in describing planning cultures empirically. It then questions how spatial planning takes place and with what results and looks at how it is understood by those involved in planning processes. The book then goes on to address why different planning cultures have developed and what commonalities and differences can be recognised across the range of countries studied. It then assesses how formal and informal institutions - as well as cultural values, norms and rules, codes, attitudes, behavioural patterns and paradigms - influence planning procedures and practices. And finally, it questions which interrealtions exist between planning culture and planning practice.The book connects elements of cultural and planning theories to explain differences and peculiarities among EU member states and develops an analytical model which encourages a scientific and systematic comparison of different countries. In doing so, it sheds light not only on the organisational or institutional structure of planning, but also the influence of deeper cultural values and layers on planning and implementation processes.