Supra-local cooperation

Supra-local cooperation is not evident in spatial planning. Municipal boundaries usually have a long history, and the responsibility and implementation of spatial planning lies mainly at local government level. Nevertheless, supra-local cooperation can be crucial for successful spatial planning. As part of the Flanders Spatial Policy Plan, the Department Environment of the Flemish government aims to see how it can promote supra-local cooperation, and has commissioned AMRP to do research on this. AMRP conducts this research along two tracks: on the one hand through a Community of Practice that explores the strengths and weaknesses of current supra-local partnerships, and on the other hand through an Actor-Relational Approach exploring themes on which supra-local partnerships would be opportune in the near future. This research is based on the principle that supra-local cooperation should not only come from governments, but also from business and civic actors, that supra-local cooperation should follow local needs and urgencies, and that supra-local cooperation should be based on specific themes and challenges. Case areas are the region around Aalst and the Rupel region.

Contactpersons at AMRP: Luuk Boelens en Beitske Boonstra
Duration: March – November 2018