Planetary boundaries for SD: From an international perspective to national applications

Posted on: 21 October 2013
By: mackene
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This European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN) Quarterly Report provides an overview of the planetary boundaries concept and the related framework. In addition, it seeks to reflect on possible links between planetary boundaries and sustainable development as well as on chances and opportunities for its approach to be considered by the policy-making world in the context of international governance for sustainable development, but also at the national and regional level.

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Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership: Spatial Plan for Recovery and Growth

Posted on: 16 October 2013
By: mackene
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The Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP has published a draft spatial plan, the first draft city-region spatial plan drawn up by a local enterprise partnership. Subject to an annual review and update, the plan is intended to outline the “broad scale and distribution of growth for housing and employment sites” in the city region as well as transport infrastructure and environmental initiatives.

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Faraway so close: The North East as an international gateway

Posted on: 11 October 2013
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Based on a literature review, data analysis and a series of interviews and roundtables with businesses and other stakeholders in the North East, this report makes the case that the region can’t afford not to enhance its transport systems and international connectivity. Considering five modes of connectivity, the ‘international gateways’ of air, sea, road, rail and digital, the authors explore the region’s strengths and weaknesses, identify the forces that shape demand and supply, and look at competition and complementarity on a wider scale both within and between the different modes.

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The competitiveness of global port-cities: The case of Danube Axis (Bratislava, Štúrovo, Komárno), Slovak Republic

Posted on: 8 October 2013
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This working paper offers an evaluation of the performance of the inland ports of the Slovak Republic within the framework of the Danube Axis, an analysis of the impact of the ports on their territory and an assessment of policies in this field. It examines port performance over the last decades and identifies the principal factors that have contributed to it. The effect of the port on economic and environmental questions is studied and quantified where possible. The major policies governing the ports are assessed, along with policies governing transport and economic development, the environment and spatial planning. Based on the report’s findings, recommendations are proposed with a view to improving port performance and increasing the positive effects of the inland ports of Slovak Republic. A similar report has been published on the post of Antofagasta, Chile. It can be viewed here.

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Eco-innovation: EU regions spearhead moves towards the green economy

Posted on: 23 September 2013
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The Autumn 2013 edition of Panorama magazine is now online. The centrepiece is a feature on how EU regions are leading the way in the realm of eco-innovation. The EU’s Structural and Investment Funds are promoting smart, sustainable growth through green, energy-efficient projects profiled in this article. Elsewhere in this issue you can find an overview of Macro-regional strategies helping coordinate projects in the Danube and Baltic regions, an update on the EU Structural Funds’ work in disaster relief, and an explanation of the ex post evaluation process for the 2007-2013 period. You will also find the usual selection of news items and featured projects from across the EU.

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Quality of government and the returns of investment: Examining the impact of cohesion expenditure in European regions

Posted on: 16 July 2013
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This paper sets out to examine the impact of the quality of local and regional governments on the returns of investment, focusing on the returns of EU structural and cohesion funds. Despite the widespread belief that the quality of government affects the returns of public investments, whether this is effectively the case has seldom been proved.  The results of the analysis underline the importance of the quality of government both as a direct determinant of economic growth, as well as a moderator of the efficiency of structural and cohesion funds expenditure. The analysis finds that both EU investments targeting regions and quality of government make a difference for regional economic growth, but that above a significant threshold level of expenditure, the quality of government is the key factor determining the returns of public investment. In many of the regions receiving the bulk of structural funds, greater levels of cohesion expenditure would, in the best case scenario, only lead to a marginal improvement in economic growth, unless the quality of government is significantly enhanced.

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Governing metropolitan regions within a localist agenda: London, Paris and Berlin. Paris, 22 February 2013

Posted on: 5 June 2013
By: mackene
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This is the second seminar of the Regional Studies Association Research Network with the theme Institutional and policy issues: Articulating scales. With a focus on the Paris region, the seminar focused on institutional issue and governance at regional scale, and policies at metropolitan scales, including planning, transport, housing, urban renewal, and neighbourhood policies. A report of the event and presentations are available online.

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Building urban rural partnerships in future European development programmes. Warsaw, 24-25 April 2013

Posted on: 29 May 2013
By: mackene
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This event provided an important opportunity for policymakers and stakeholders at European, national, regional and local level to better understand the practical aspects of urban rural partnerships and influence their implementation in future EU Cohesion Policy and Rural Development policy. Video and audio presentations are available online.

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Panorama Magazine: Spring 2013

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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This issue of the quarterly magazine highlights the role of Cohesion policy in returning growth to Europe. Cohesion policy is the investment arm of the EU budget, aiming to boost growth and competitiveness through capitalising on regional strengths. The policy will, in the future, reinforce even more the achievement of the ‘Europe 2020’ objectives and will focus on sustainable investment with a more effective use of EU, national and regional investment.

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UK first? Improving Northern access to foreign direct investment

Posted on: 19 March 2013
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This report from the Institute for Public Policy Research explores the past and current performance of systems for securing foreign direct investment into the UK as a whole, and to the north of England in particular, with the aim of providing insight into the North’s future potential to maximise these incoming resources. The work includes a review of existing written evidence and targeted interviews with participants in, and users of, the inward investment system.

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