Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
and development control. Thus, besides stating the new overarching principle of
spatial planning as 'sustainable regional development', new informal planning
instruments have been introduced (such as regional development concepts or
urban networks) which are to be used alongside the established formal (and often
seen as inflexible) hierarchy of plans and programmes. There is increasing
emphasis on the region as the most appropriate level for action, and to reflect func-
tional interdependences, and a more co-operative approach to spatial planning is
encouraged.
The federal system and limited competences of the
Bund
in the field of
spatial planning means that there is no binding spatial plan which covers the whole
Federal Republic of Germany. At this level, spatial development is guided by the
models and guidelines which have to be devised jointly by the federal government
and the
Länder.
The
Raumordnungspolitischer Orientierungsrahmen (ORA)
(BMBau, 1993) (guidelines for spatial planning) and the
Raumordnungspolitischer
Handlungsrahmen (HARA)
(BMBau, 1995a) (action programme for spatial plan-
ning), were prepared in co-operation between
Bund
und
Länder
under the
umbrella of the
MKRO
to provide for guiding principles for the whole of the
reunited territory
.
The cartography for the
Raumordnungspolitischer Orien-
tierungsrahmen
was partly prepared in parallel to the work on the national contribu-
tion to the French trend scenarios for the ESDP (see Chapter 5). Although spatial
planning in Germany is generally practised at the level of the
Länder
and below,
the revised
ROG
has given the
Bund
a stronger mandate for co-operation on
spatial planning matters at transnational and European levels. The preparation of
informal spatial
Leitbilder
at federal level will therefore be given increasing attention
in future.
4
The German system of spatial planning is identified by its distinction of two
planning functions: supra-local spatial planning, and local land use planning. These
two planning functions are linked through the
Gegenstromprinzip
(counter-current
principle). This principle implies that supra-local plans cannot be prepared without
the participation of the local authorities, and that local plans must conform to the
aims of the supra-local plans (cf. Box 4.4). Supra-local spatial planning is a top-
down system and is documented in the spatial guidelines of the
Bund
, the
Lan-
desentwicklungspläne
or
Landesentwicklungsprogramme
(
LEPs/LEPros
) (state
development plans or programmes) of the
Länder
and the
Regionalpläne
(regional
plans). The Federal Republic is made up of sixteen
Länder
(states), thirteen of
which are
Flächenstaaten
(area states) and three are
Stadtstaaten
(the city states
Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen) (Figure 4.2). Comprehensive spatial planning within
the individual
Länder
is called
Landesplanung
, and is that component of public
administration which is responsible for producing spatial structure plans of a com-
prehensive nature and aimed at the co-ordination of plans and measures with a