Governance of territorial and urban policies

ESPON project 2.3.2Governance of Territorial and Urban Policies from EU to Local Level holds an important position in the definition and elaboration of a common ground for investigating the institutional, instrumental ans procedural aspects of territorial and urban policies in Europe. The project focuses on the question how effective different systems are, e.g. considering a policy mix of spatial planning (in different forms implemented by Member States), local government powers and taxation policy in defining common spatial development strategies and objectives such as a polycentric urban system, balancing urban-rural needs, reviving derelict urban areas, urban regeneration, sustainable management of the natural and cultural assets. In that perspective, an analysis based on a comparative review of the instruments used, and stakeholders involved in various policy areas and processes, is being undertaken to draw some valuable conclusions of practical relevance on governance. The report sums up the main overall findings of the ESPON 2.3.2 project and presents in more detail the contributions delivered by IRPUD. The structure of this report is as follows. Part 1 summarizes the project in terms of research aims, hypotheses and key findings. The following parts present research work done by IRPUD. It starts with a German National Overview on the application of governance practices (part 2) and two case studies for urban and territorial governance (part 3). The second half of the report presents on a quantitative analysis of several indicators. Part 4 on data and indicators discusses data quality and develops the quantitative approach for measuring governance. In part 5 the report draws a synthesis of governance trends identified in the national case studies

Application and effects of the ESDP in Member States

Between 2004 and 2006 IRPUD participated in two projects of the European Spatial Planning Observation Network, in short ESPON. Both projects fall into the policy impact studies of ESPON, trying to understand and identify the various effects of territorial policies implemented by the EU and its various bodies. The ESPON project 2.3.1 ??Application and Effects of the ESDP in Member States?? focused on the European Spatial Development Perspective and tried to analyse, which effects this bottom-up policy document finally generated when looking towards the planning systems of member states (and beyond). The ESPON project 2.3.2 Governance of Territorial and Urban Policies from the EU to Local Level on the one hand can be understood as a follow up of the mid-90ies Compendium of EU Planning Systems. On other hand, the study clearly goes beyond the earlier compendium trying to establish a deeper understanding of urban and territorial policies in Europe, not least surveying 29 states. IRPUD contributed to both projects various elements but in particular quantitative approaches towards the analysis. What needs to be stressed here is, that the quantitative approach in both cases constitutes only a very first attempt. Both policy fields are very complex analytical entities which do not lend easily for a quantitative indicator based survey. The results rather have to be seen as preliminary, raising many more questions than providing ready made answers. The reports presented here are excerpts of the final reports produced for ESPON. The complete versions can be found at www.espon.eu . The team for both projects (with varying responsibilities) consisted of Prof. Dr. Peter Ache, Alexandra Hill, Michael Höweler, Christian Lindner and Stefan Peters

Nou test incremental per a patinadors velocistes sobre una superfície plana lliscant: anàlisi de fiabilitat i comparació amb un test de ciclisme

Introducció: Sembla que no és adequada la prescripció d’exercici a patinadors a partir dels índexs obtinguts en la bicicleta estàtica o a la cinta de córrer. Això no obstant, encara no s’ha establert una valoració específica de laboratori per als patinadors. Objectiu: Aquest estudi pretengué valorar la fiabilitat del test-retest d’una prova incremental feta damunt una superfície plana lliscant, en anglès slide board (SB), i se’n comparà la validesa, amb un protocol de ciclisme, per tal de determinar el rendiment aeròbic dels patinadors velocistes. Mètodes: Deu patinadors velocistes de curses en línia d’alt nivell executaren 2 tests incrementals, un sobre una SB i un altre de ciclisme. La intensitat del test sobre SB fou determinada mitjançant cadència, començant per 30 impulsos/min i augmentant 3 impulsos/min cada minut fins a l’esgotament. Foren mesurats els valors màxims i submàxims relacionats amb el llindar anaeròbic (AT), el consum d’oxigen (VO2), la ventilació pulmonar (VE), la taxa d’intercanvi respiratori (RER), la freqüència cardíaca (FC), l’escala de percepció de l’esforç (RPE), la cadència (CAD) y la concentració de lactat sanguini ([Lac]max). Resultats: No es trobaren diferències significatives en cap de les variables entre testretest a l’SB. S’obtingueren nivells elevats de fiabilitat relativa i absoluta (ICC > 0,9) (error típic de mesura CVTEM 0,8). Conclusió: Els resultats obtinguts suggereixen que el test SB és fiable i adequat per avaluar els índexs de rendiment aeròbic de patinadors velociste

Educating planners in Europe: A review of 21st century study programmes

A  Education for urban, regional and spatial planning has become a regular subject throughout most European nations; this can be attributed in part to European policies promoting planning and spatially balanced development, but also to the recognition that planning can support sustainability. Nevertheless, there is lingering and justifiable concern about the status, profile and recognition of planning as a profession in its own right with the result that planning and planning education remain contested territories in academia. Conceptions of planning differ between countries and over time. The array of different planning cultures and associated educational models and pedagogies that traditionally have coexisted in Europe mean that education for planning can be either very visible or leading a shadow existence being embedded in programmes of other disciplines. While planning education provision customarily has been shaped by changes in planning practice paradigms and the profession, in 21st century Europe the provision is also influenced by European integration policies, the Bologna process and powerful transformations affecting the higher education sector writ large. This review seeks to advance our understanding of the complex dynamics at work, which to date have been only partially explored in the literature, by taking stock of the current state-of-play of planning education provision in Europe. Aside from examining the factors influencing planning education in Europe, an inventory of planning education programmes available throughout the member states of the Council of Europe was developed to quantify the provision as a critical first step. Figures indicate a substantial increase in the number of programmes when compared to limited historical data. Data also suggest an underdeveloped provision for education in planning in about ten per cent of European countries. Country case studies with historically differing planning cultures and education provision, i.e., Spain, Portugal, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are used to compare and explore trends and developments (e.g., in respect to programme structure, curriculum content and focus, professional conceptions, specialisms) in detail. Findings demonstrate, both, an enduring power of national preferences and traditions but also some emerging commonalities. Overall a picture of increasing pluralism and diversity of education models transpires in the aftermath of Bologna which may contravene efforts to establish cross-national professional recognition and standards. Education for planning seems to embrace trends to provide increasingly international learning experiences and degrees while the provision of flexible recognised (online) degree programmes remains sparse. Recommendations for future actions and strategies to further develop and strengthen the field which is at present complex and little coordinated conclude the contribution

A novel incremental slide board test for speed skaters: Reliability analysis and comparison with a cycling test

Introduction Exercise prescription from indices obtained from cycling or running treadmill incremental tests does not seem suitable for speed skaters. However, the specificity of laboratory skating assessments remains to be established. Purpose This study intended to assess the test–retest reliability of an incremental test performed on a slide board (SB), and its validity compared with a cycling protocol in order to determine aerobic performance indices in speed skaters. Methods Ten competitive inline speed skaters performed two incremental tests on an SB and one cycling incremental test. The intensity of SB test was determined by cadence, starting at 30 push-offs/min and increasing by three push-offs/min each minute, until volitional exhaustion. Maximal and submaximal values related to the anaerobic threshold (AT) of oxygen uptake (VO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange (RER), heart rate (HR), rating of perceived effort (RPE), cadence (CAD), and blood lactate concentration ([Lac]max) were measured. Results No significant differences were found in any of the variables between test–retest on SB. High relative (ICC > 0.9) and absolute reliability (typical error of measure as CVTEM 0.8). Conclusions The findings suggest that SB test is reliable and adequate to evaluate aerobic performance indices of speed skaters