<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Contemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial solidarity aimed at balanced spatial development is a core principle of both spatial planning doctrines. Reviewing key planning documents, this article compares territorial cohesion discourses in terms of their normative and analytical natures in order to critically evaluate the uniqueness and novelty of the current modern concept. In spite of ideological contradictions, a commonly-shared realisation of the importance of urban agglomerations as specific integrated spatial units and the need to improve living conditions in disadvantaged areas, are crucial characteristics for both spatial planning policies. Moreover, analytical spatial planning procedures are based on similar methods and lead to nearly identical results concerning the spatial pattern for one specific case settlement system (the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic). In this respect, the currently-emphasised territorial cohesion discourse is familiar to that in former socialist areas in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on these findings, spatial planning authorities should learn from the past in reflecting on the limitations and advantages of spatial planning in the socialist era.</p></abstract>

Contemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial solidarity aimed at balanced spatial development is a core principle of both spatial planning doctrines. Reviewing key planning documents, this article compares territorial cohesion discourses in terms of their normative and analytical natures in order to critically evaluate the uniqueness and novelty of the current modern concept. In spite of ideological contradictions, a commonly-shared realisation of the importance of urban agglomerations as specific integrated spatial units and the need to improve living conditions in disadvantaged areas, are crucial characteristics for both spatial planning policies. Moreover, analytical spatial planning procedures are based on similar methods and lead to nearly identical results concerning the spatial pattern for one specific case settlement system (the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic). In this respect, the currently-emphasised territorial cohesion discourse is familiar to that in former socialist areas in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on these findings, spatial planning authorities should learn from the past in reflecting on the limitations and advantages of spatial planning in the socialist era.

European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?

Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Moravian Geographical Reports

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?"}

Contemporary EU territorial cohesion policy presents some striking reminders of features of socialist central planning. The objective of socio-spatial...

European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?

Published Online: Apr 09, 2016

Page range: 14 - 26

Received: Oct 06, 2015

Accepted: Jan 28, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2016-0002

Keywords
territorial cohesion, socialist central planning, settlement systems, European Union, Czech Republic

© 2016 Jiří Malý et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

European territorial cohesion policies: Parallels to socialist central planning?

Published Online: Apr 09, 2016

Page range: 14 - 26

Received: Oct 06, 2015

Accepted: Jan 28, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2016-0002

Keywordsterritorial cohesion, socialist central planning, settlement systems, European Union, Czech Republic

© 2016 Jiří Malý et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
territorial cohesion, socialist central planning, settlement systems, European Union, Czech Republic