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
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