Structural problems for the renewal of planning styles: the spanish case1

This article first presents a historical review of Spain's involvement in the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) preparation process to determine whether ESDP guidelines are different from, contrary to or in harmony with the interests of Spanish proposals. Particular attention is paid to the priority lines and territorial objectives of the Spanish delegation and its emphasis in substantive issues related to cohesion, and linking spatial planning with European Union (EU) funding. If, as the network paradigm maintains, spatial development is not possible without new methods of governance, our work has to focus on two related questions. The first question regards the evolution and the present situation of spatial planning within the Spanish administrative framework seen from a horizontal perspective; what does spatial planning mean and who decides what? The second question is whether it is true to say that new planning habits have been adopted in town and regional planning from a vertical, inter-governmental and multi-level perspective and from the state and regional point of view (spatial visions of autonomous regions). The article reviews and explores the most important matters affecting a ‘composite state’ like Spain. And what does the future hold? The article presents a review of spatial planning in Spain after the Potsdam document, seeking the possible impact of structural funds on Spanish regions in this respect. The result is that in the Spanish case, this is a key aspect in the development of a new spatial planning culture, despite the risk of re-centralization.