The multi-level nature of spatial planning and territorial governance

Competence for planning usually rests with more than one level of government in a country which creates multi-scalar or multi-level governance for spatial planning. The majority of the 32 countries in the ESPON COMPASS study had three levels of government, though some have two or four. The distribution of competences differs and there is much change which often involves the abolition or creation of administrations. There are several trends underway: decentralisation or devolution of competences, for example, in Germany and Croatia; regionalisation where there is devolution to sub-national governments, for example, in the UK and in some ways Greece; and concurrent centralisation and decentralisation, for example, in Denmark and Lithuania. Most countries have some competence for national-level responsibilities for planning, even in federal states where the competent bodies are at sub-national level there is cooperation on some issues for the whole country. Spatial planning across functional regions or soft territorial cooperation areas is increasing, most commonly in metropolitan regions, where there are varied arrangements including the creation of metropolitan-level administrations, inter-municipal agreements and voluntary cooperation.