Transnational Networking Activities ESPON 2013 Programme Open Seminar 13 and 14 June 2012, Aalborg Transnational Networking Activities Nordic-Baltic Dialogues on Transnational Perspectives in Spatial Planning (NORBA)

Partners Lead Partner: ECP Finland Karelian Institute, University of Eastern Finland Heikki Eskelinen, Timo Hirvonen Partners: ECP Estonia (University of Tartu) Antti Roose ECP Iceland (University of Akureyri) Grétar Þór Eyþórsson ECP Latvia (State Development Agency, Riga) Zane Leščinska ECP Norway (Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, NIBR) Olaf Foss ECP Sweden (Royal Institute of Technology) Mats Johansson 2010-2012

NORBA in Action Context Macro-regional existing co-operation, positioning in Europe Dialogue Discussion forums Continuous reporting: http://rha.is/norba NORBA in Action

Conferences For policy-makers and other stakeholders Stockholm, 3-4 February 2011 For young scholars: Roskilde (Denmark), 24-27 May 2011 (in connection of the Nordic Geographers Meeting) For researchers: Oslo, 13-14 March 2012 (in co-operation with the Nordic Section of the ERSA) Final conference: Jurmala (Latvia), 30-31 August 2012

Lessons from Stockholm 1st day: What can ESPON do for your region? Key themes: - Nordic-Baltic countries in the light of ESPON findings - Messages of ESPON scenarios concerning Nordic-Baltic countries “Regions learn from each other through ESPON” “ESPON as a source of structural overviews” “More demand driven projects” “Functional regions in reporting instead of NUTS regions”

- “Soft” strategic planning rather than “hard” allocative planning 2) International outlooks in (national) spatial planning (in Nordic-Baltic countries) - “Soft” strategic planning rather than “hard” allocative planning - Development perspectives including links with international transport infrastructures, potentials such as growth corridors, development zones, cooperation areas, territorial positioning as visions for future development - International comparison of regional and national assets, state and trends of development largely missing (that is, what ESPON could provide)

Lessons from Roskilde Macro-regional diversity targeted, exposed and discussed Open and lively Q & A session after each keynote and young scholars presentation Inserting case studies into ESPON knowledge Young fellows became aware of ESPON findings

Lessons from Oslo Constructive cooperation with the NS-RSA More than 60 participants, 34 presentations in parallel workshops and 3 plenary speeches + a plenary panel discussion between the NORBA partners Main focus on SeGI and PURR in presentations Abstracts and presentations are published

Expectations for Jurmala Discuss Territorial cohesion in the Baltic Sea Region - challenges and feasibility Identify ESPON teritorial evidence in the macro- regional context - demography, urban regions, rural development and territorial cooperation Reflect on Territorial  governance and strategic planning practices in the Baltic Sea Region Provide a transnational  forum for policy makers, practitioners and researchers

NORBA Summary ESPON is only one source of research-based evidence for policy-making in northern Europe Impacts on how actors (in different sectors, at different spatial levels) position themselves, and how debate on European cohesion and territorial development policy evolves New insights into relations between research and policy-making