1. Lessons from Complexity: Theoretical Implications for Planning Based on the Study of Leisure-led Regional Development
Presentation for AESOP Complexity: 16th Meeting
Jasper F. Meekes
University of Groningen

2. Introduction
Leisure-led regional development in the Dutch province of Fryslân
How can we plan for leisure, tourism and recreation, despite increasing uncertainties? (Meekes, Buda & De Roo, 2017b; Meekes, Parra & De Roo, 2017)
Combining evolutionary approaches with complexity through qualitative methodology (Meekes, Buda & De Roo, 2017b)

3. Case Study: Fryslân Province in the north of the Netherlands
650,000 inhabitants on 3,300 km2
Population declining in rural areas
Capital city of Leeuwarden European Capital of Culture in 2018 (

4. Complexity and Leisure
Leisure-led regional development as spatial transformation
Understanding complex non-linear development
Processes of self-organization, emergence, co-evolution
Adaptive planning through harnessing of autonomous dynamics
(Meekes, Parra & De Roo, 2017)

5. Complexity of Leisure Fragmentation of the leisure sector
High proportion of small local firms
Focus on competition instead of cooperation?
Balance between developing leisure and protecting existing qualities
Amenity of ‘tranquility’ influenced by influx of tourists
Changes in leisure with effects on region as a whole
Crossovers between leisure and broader regional development
Transcend economic: regional attractiveness, service levels, nature protection
(Meekes, Buda & De Roo, 2017a)

6. Evolution of Leisure in Fryslân
(Meekes, Buda & De Roo, 2017b)

7. Evolution of Leisure in Fryslân
Development of leisure in Fryslân result of actions of individual entrepreneurs
‘Movers and shakers’ innovate based on environmental change
Interactions can lead to individual initiatives to emerge and self-organize
Governmental institutions can result in path dependence or path creation
Institutions can frame interactions between actors
Shared sense of urgency crucial for dynamic development
Task for planners to strengthen interactions?
(Meekes, Buda & De Roo, 2017b)

8. Discourses on Leisure Development
Discourses enable and constrain social complex processes
Influence of more prominent discourses (economic discourse)
Subordinate discourses create room for path-creation
Structural change most likely in case of competing discourses
Challenge to the status quo, also linked to institutional change
Power struggles influencing development
New discourses emerging from individual level
New discourses co-evolve, emerge and self-organize and can lead to path-creation
(Meekes, Buda & De Roo, forthcoming)

9. Lessons for planning Combining ‘factual’ and ‘agreed’ reality
EEG describes more factual evolution
Discourse analysis to uncover intersubjective reasoning
Uncovering relations between these realities
Discourses influenced by factual reality and vice versa
Differences between realities can spark change
(De Roo, 2017)

10. Role for planners Plan for enabling and constraining conditions
Facilitating interactions within region
Focus on ‘shared sense of urgency’
Build on existing and autonomous dynamics
Exploit path-creation from individual level
Cope with path-dependence for adaptivity
Influence discourses
External but also internal marketing
Role for vision making?

11. Discussion Role of power (right to power?) in influencing discourses
Ability to predict and direct?
Role of chance

12. References J.F.Meekes@RUG.nl
De Roo, G. (2017). Ordering Principles in a Dynamic World of Change - On social complexity, transformation and the conditions for balancing purposeful interventions and spontaneous change. Progress in Planning. doi: /j.progress
Meekes, J. F., Buda, D. M., & De Roo, G. (2017a). Leeuwarden 2018: Complexity of Leisure-Led Regional Development in A European Capital of Culture. Tijdschrift Voor Economische En Sociale Geografie, 108(1), 129–136. doi: /tesg.12237
Meekes, J. F., Buda, D. M., & De Roo, G. (2017b). Adaptation, interaction and urgency: a complex evolutionary economic geography approach to leisure. Tourism Geographies, 6688(May), 1–23. doi: /
Meekes, J. F., Buda, D. M., & De Roo, G. (forthcoming) SOCIO-SPATIAL COMPLEXITY IN LEISURE: Analyzing Regional Development Discourses in the Dutch Province of Fryslân
Meekes, J. F., Parra, C., & De Roo, G. (2017). Regional development and leisure in Fryslân: a complex adaptive systems perspective through evolutionary economic geography. In P. Brouder, S. Anton Clavé, A. M. Gill, & D. Ioannides (Eds.), Tourism Destination Evolution (pp. 165–182). London & New York: Routledge.