Abstract
Throughout the entire history of Europe and its spatial development, the north-south corridor from Rotterdam to Genoa has formed a quasi ‘transport backbone’. The most densely settled areas of Europe are to be found here, together with diverse landscapes and urban regions of various sizes. It is also the area where the highest economic value is created. To a considerable extent, the economic power of this axis determines many European developments. Major investments of all kinds: airports, railway systems, distribution centres, industries, etc., are concentrated here.
The renovation and development of the regions along this corridor are a challenge for those involved. Global, European, national, regional, and local processes overlap each other and changes are plain to see. The serious conflicts within spatial development in this transit area also inevitably lead to addressing Europe’s cultural and political history, as well as its future and the future of its nations. What are the central questions, and what solutions are possible? In recent years, stakeholders from all the countries involved have formed, for the first time, a group for developing a spatial strategy in a European and macro-regional context. This contribution deals with the challenges and perspectives of one of the most important corridors in Europe and the need for an action-oriented European spatial programme.
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Notes
- 1.
The principle of subsidiarity is defined in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. It ensures that decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen and that constant checks are made to verify that action at Union level is justified in light of the possibilities available at national, regional or local level. Specifically, it is the principle whereby the Union does not take action (except in the areas that fall within its exclusive competence), unless it is more effective than action taken at national, regional or local level. It is closely bound up with the principle of proportionality, which requires that any action by the Union should not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties. See: europa.eu/legislation_summaries/glossary/subsidiarity; Accessed 14.11.22.
- 2.
The newest publication on the topic, Spatial Planning Systems and Practice in Europe, also makes this clear. The publication is the outcome of an ARL European Working Group that devoted their time to this topic over a 3-year period. ‘Although the emergence of the EU spatial planning agenda played an influential role as a driving force in domestic planning reforms, this did not lead to a complete ‘harmonisation’ of spatial planning systems and practises across Europe,’ (Reimer et al. 2014). As Switzerland was not included in this analysis it may be of interest to be aware of the differences. Its understanding of planning is clearly differentiated from its neighbours. One of the main differences is that Swiss planning is understood as a ‘rolling’ process as indicated by the Richtplan (Guidelines) in which the categories of Pre-orientation (Vorientierung), Interim Results (Zwischenergebnisse) and Final Assessment (Festsetzung) of the various plans must be represented, including a final representation of the desired state. The pragmatic approach used in Switzerland recognises that spatial planning must also be intensely concerned with what could be important for the coordination (Pre-orientation) and the representation which, until now, has shown what solutions have been achieved through planning (Interim Report) (Zwischenergebnisse) and, finally, what direction the solution should follow (Final Assessment). These categories deliver an overview that is important for the coordination of an effective process and its decisions.
- 3.
The ministers responsible for spatial organisation and territorial development state that: ‘The TA 2020 is our action-oriented policy framework to promote territorial cohesion in Europe as a new goal of the European Union introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon (Art 3. TEU).’
- 4.
In my work on action-planning, the use of the essential principles and methods of action-oriented spatial planning to solve complex core tasks was presented. The knowledge is based on the evaluation of comprehensive complex tasks in which the author was also involved.
- 5.
Worth mentioning in this connection is the Landschaftsinitiative of Switzerland. It led to an intensive public debate about spatial planning and to the revision of the spatial planning law. A central goal is limiting sprawl through the implementation of the basic strategy: Redevelopment before New Development. The law was approved by over 60 % of the voting population in Spring 2013.
- 6.
ESDP 1999: ‘With the aim to provide an integrated, multi-sector and indicative strategy for spatial development, the key ideas of ESDP are: To achieve an integrated approach, i.e. not just look at specific sectors of development activity, e.g. environment, economic development, or transport, but to recognise that they all affect each other; an understanding of spatial development, a much wider view of sector development vital for an integrative approach; to include strategic actions, which means also to set priorities.’ Of interest in this connection are also the spatial policy guidelines, summarised here:
• Development of a polycentric and balanced urban system, and strengthening of the partnership between urban and rural areas, in order to create a new urban-rural relationship.
• Promotion of integrated transport and communication concepts, which support the polycentric development of the EU territory, so that there is gradual progress towards parity of access to infrastructure and knowledge.
• Wise management of the natural and cultural heritage, which will help conserve regional identities and cultural diversity in the face of globalisation.
The policy and guidelines appear in a different form in the Territorial Agendas of 2007 and 2020.
- 7.
I use ‘difficult, challenging tasks’ as synonymous with complex problems. They differentiate themselves from routine tasks in that such tasks don’t fit into commonly used solution patterns and sometimes it is not at all clear at the beginning of the clarification process, which tasks are to be solved in general.
- 8.
Scholl 2012: In the summary it was stated: ‘Once more, it has been confirmed that spatial planning is a discipline that is linked to language, culture and paradigms of thinking. For these reasons alone, mutual understanding is already a major challenge. Nevertheless, the cross-border dialogue is important in order to recognise new developments, attain new knowledge and stimulate and encourage through discussions—perhaps even formulate new initiatives. Through the exchange that took place during the symposia and the discussions of the case studies, the knowledge that a pan-European spatial planning does not exist has become a consensus. The increased development of trans-European infrastructural networks, for example, the energy sector (such as cable and pipeline routes) and the transport sector already call for this development. This shows that sector development is very often neglected during the customary development of the living space. A compilation of the spaces and projects of national importance in the individual countries would be a very good foundation for the spaces and projects that lie within mutual European interests’.
- 9.
IRL 2011: ‘According to the subsidiarity principle, tasks should only be transferred to a super-ordinate state level when it can demonstrate that it can fulfil the task as well as the subordinated state levels.’
- 10.
ARL Position Paper No. 79, 2009: In this paper on the ‘future challenges of the large-scale transport development in Germany’, it was stated: ‘In addition, it needs a clear commitment to the prioritisation of planning preparation as well as the implementation of concepts on the main axes. Correspondingly, strategic approaches and considerations have not been, however, on hand for a long time. And not on the side of the government either.’
- 11.
In connection with a ‘bypass discussion’ about a railway in the course of the planned four-track construction on the Upper Rhine River, the regions from Switzerland, Germany and France have found their way to cooperating on a plan for an integrated spatial and railway development. The results were published in Scholl (2007).
- 12.
At present, a very promising test trial is taking place in the Limmat Valley, an approximately 20 km long space of national importance between Zurich and West Baden. The report has recommendations from an international Ideenkonkurrenz (idea competition) that could be important for similar tasks. Published by ETH Zürich, Fall 2013.
- 13.
Under point 24 of the TA 2020, it emphasises that ‘…a polycentric and balanced spatial development in the EU is a key element for the achievement of territorial cohesion.’
- 14.
European Commission 2014a, p. 43. ‘The TEN-T consists of two layers: a core network to be completed by 2030 and a comprehensive network feeding into the core network, to be completed by 2050. The core network will provide essential support for the Single Market by facilitating the flow of goods and people around the EU, including in the less developed Member States (Map 1.22). It involves connecting 94 main European ports to rail and road links, 38 key airports with rail connections into major cities, 15,000 km of railway lines upgraded to high-speed and 35 cross-border projects to reduce bottlenecks.’
- 15.
The example of the Amber Road shows how the Mediterranean societies (Phoenicians, Egyptian, Greek) valued the stones of fossilised resin iron available mainly in the Baltic and brought from the northern lands. Already in the Bronze Age, Mycene, Bernstorf and Osterrada had developed into trading centres for the popular material (Graichen and Hesse 2012).
- 16.
In a programme on main focus points given by the German Research Society, it was recommended that the historical connections should be more closely examined. In this situation, we find: ‘The Rhine, as a large river flowing through the centre of Europe, was a significant waterway already in prehistoric times. With the arrival of the Romans, it became even more important. In order to develop the Germanic provinces, including the construction and maintenance of military and civilian infrastructure, large quantities of raw materials and other goods were required, which were primarily transported by boat. Consequently, the new settlements on the Rhine had harbours with loading and mooring facilities, which are often known but seldom well researched’ (DFG 2014).
- 17.
TEU is the abbreviation for 20-foot equivalent unit, a measurement of the capacity of container ships and harbour cargo handling amounts.
- 18.
Only Rotterdam and the deep-sea harbour of Wilhelmshaven are equipped for container ships with a large cargo handling capacity, ca. 18 k TEU per ship). At present, ships with 12 k TEU translate to a cargo of 120 trains or 6000 lorries.
- 19.
Traffic jams are already happening daily in the areas surrounding harbours and their hinterlands. One request from the Rotterdam Harbour is increasingly about transferring the share of the container hinterland traffic from 2009, a total of 4 million TEU (with 18 million TEU expected in 2035), to the waterways and railways. Percentage-wise, the share on the waterways will rise from 40 % to 49 % and the share of the railway from 14 % to 20 % TEU. The share of road transport should be reduced from 46 % to 35 %. Measured by the possible capacity of the harbour by 2035, a ship could carry five times more TEU, the railway six times more and lorries would have to take over four times more cargo. (See also Braun 2014). In the above-mentioned briefing from the German government, no date has been given for an implementation of the Rhine Valley extension (Deutscher Bundestag 2014).
- 20.
The actors of the Goods Transport Centre in Lahr were pushed into the CODE24 Project during its extension phase, 2013/2014, in order to be able to test possibilities of integrated development. A parallel situation of placing the tracks along the highway is a precondition for a direct transition from roads to rails.
- 21.
According to CEF (Connecting European Facility), this was decided in February 2013 by the EU Presidency.
- 22.
The project was developed using several test planning processes and the Consilium Europaviertel Frankfurt, which was led by the author. (See Scholl 2011b, ISOCARP).
- 23.
Space users includes inhabitants and workers in the catchment area of the corridor. Per user there is a potential of ca. 30 m2, of which half can be counted as part of the reserves (Nebel 2014, p. 23).
- 24.
This value is for Switzerland. In the surrounding countries, the value is lower, which could result in more inhabitants being counted as potential users, always under the prerequisite that the surface area used remains approximately the same.
- 25.
The earliest this new essential harbour basin would be available is 2017. In addition, the project opens far-reaching possibilities for the city’s development (Braun 2014).
- 26.
An introductory report is in preparation (Braun 2014).
- 27.
TA 2020 pt. 56: ‘…building on recent experiences, where appropriate full advantage could be taken of the new opportunities offered by the legal instrument of the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). Furthermore, voluntary coordination of planning activities along borders within the framework of the EGTC should be explored where it is perceived as an added value.’
- 28.
According to the official bulletin of the TEN-T Priority Programme, the bottlenecks in the core network of the EU should be eliminated by 2030.
- 29.
It was in this connection that representatives of numerous regional organisations and cantons, as well as industry associations and chambers of commerce in the middle Upper Rhine came together to first experience an exchange on an informal basis. An invitation from my then Chair for Urban Design and National Planning at the University of Karlsruhe (today KIT) did bring many actors together. After the visit of a delegation from the Regional Rhein-Neckar Association in Autumn 2008 to a construction site of the Alptransit (Sedrun), an idea for an INTERREG project arose—as well as the readiness to take over the general management.
- 30.
A detailed representation of the result of the integrated space and infrastructure development can be found in: IRL (2013a, b). The dissertations by Günther (2015) and Tosoni (2015): ‘The methodical aspect of large-scale and integrated spatial and infrastructure development will be evaluated and should deliver scientific principles for the macro-regional cooperation.’
- 31.
Federal decision on the financing and construction of a railway infrastructure (Finanzierung und Ausbau der Bahninfrastruktur (FABI)), 9.2.2014.
- 32.
The results have also led to rethinking the Mixed Transport Strategy (joint use of the rails by passengers and goods). It could be shown that the partial separation of the goods transport from the passenger transport can thickly settled settlement spaces unburden and lead to limited costs in the realisation. The findings were published in a trilogy in the professional journal of the Swiss Architects and Engineers Association, TEC21 2013.
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Scholl, B. (2016). Spatial Planning and Development in a European and Macro-regional Context. In: Drewello, H., Scholl, B. (eds) Integrated Spatial and Transport Infrastructure Development. Contributions to Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15708-5_2
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