Project Description

Whilst there can be no doubt that the territorial impact assessment (TIA) debate has been greatly stimulated by various previous ESPON projects, associated published documents and workshops/events, to date, the focus of TIA research has been almost entirely on assessing (and, in this context, especially modelling) territorial impacts of EU policies, particularly in connection with the territorial cohesion debate. However, potentially, there is a much wider range of possible applications of TIA, e.g. ‘in the territorial development and spatial planning policymaking context’ (ESPON, 2010, p. 9) of member states. Therefore, the proposed project will address the question as to ‘how […] the assessment of territorial impacts of European (sector) policies [can] be addressed in the cycles for territorial and spatial planning policymaking within European Member States in general and in the national and regional territorial development strategies in particular’ (ESPON, 2010, p. 11). The project will thus touch new ground, examining possibilities to apply TIA in contexts and situations that have not been considered to date. This means that the main aim of the project is of an innovative nature, and the project is bound to be of great interest to both, the scientific and policy communities.

The trans-national project group (TPG) has identified five main objectives for the proposed project. These objectives also reflect main project stages and include:

(1) Establishing differences and similarities of assessment tools;

(2) Designing a TIA framework;

(3) Testing the applicability of the TIA framework;

(4) Assessing the usefulness/ benefits and associated costs of TIA;

(5) Drawing conclusions and recommendations.

Start of the project: 1/10/2010

Closure of activities: 30/04/2012

Research Team

One partner from each of the three stakeholder countries

• University of Liverpool
• University of Ljubljana
• University of Porto

Critical Friend: International renowned TIA expert

• Delft University of Technology

Research team from CITTA

• Anastássios Perdicoúlis
• Luísa Batista
• Paulo Pinho (coordinator)
• Rui Azevedo

Financial Support

• ESPON 2013 Programme
• Budget: 77.288,00€

Stage of Progress

• Concluded in 2012

ESPON - EATIA