1. The SPECIAL Project (Spatial Planning & Energy for Communities In All Landscapes) Contract No: IEE/12/762 8 March 2013 – 7 March 2016 June 2013

2. Project Summary Building the capacity of Town Planning Associations to plan and deliver sustainable energy solutions Integrating spatial planning and energy planning

3. Background Forward-looking spatial planning can significantly accelerate the deployment of local energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions to enable local and regional authorities throughout Europe deliver the EU 20/20/20 targets. The project will stimulate the improved energy related competence of town planners working within public authorities leading to good practice examples of integrated spatial planning strategies for low carbon towns and regions. The SPECIAL project will foster the exchange of experiences and competence building amongst national and regional town planning associations and organisations with the aim to demonstrate the integration of sustainable energy aspects into spatial planning strategies at local and regional levels.

4. To build the capacity of Town Planning Associations (TPA) to integrate sustainable energy solutions into spatial planning training, practice, and delivery To stimulate the improved energy-related competence of town planners working within local authorities leading to good practice examples of integrated spatial planning strategies for low carbon towns and regions. Objectives and main steps Main steps: 1.Learning from good practice at training weeks in the UK, Sweden and Germany 2.Spread of knowledge to multiplier organisations in each country 3.The creation of a portfolio of training materials in each country 4.Delivery of on ground training pilots with the multiplier orgs. 5.Development of 5 expert papers on spatial planning & and energy 6.Partner high level policy statements on energy & spatial planning 7.European Council of Town Planners: pan European guide 8.European Council of Town Planners: European award on energy & spatial planning Objectives

5. Expected impacts Six national and two regional town planning associations and organisations from eight European member states will have increased competence to demonstrate the integration of sustainable energy aspects into spatial planning strategies at the local and regional level. Multiplying this competence, SPECIAL will have developed the capacity of 35 further organisations and networks to deliver competence building and training on the integration of spatial planning with energy planning to 2,073 ‘town planners’ in Europe, drawn from 735 municipalities. 515 European municipalities will have clear pathways on embedding energy policies into spatial planning strategies with 386 municipalities delivering good practice examples of integrated spatial planning strategies for low carbon towns and regions. SPECIAL will leave a legacy of 40 energy competence building and training programmes supported by long lasting mechanisms and networks that will build the competence of a further 15,980 ‘town planners’ drawn from 3,780 European municipalities. SPECIAL will document the project processes and resources and produce guidance for other national and regional town planning associations and organisations (and related professional bodies) in Europe to replicate the project’s approach.

6. Project partners & contact UK: Town & Country Planning Association Sweden: Swedish Society for Town & Country Planning Ireland:Irish Planning Institute Hungary: Hungarian Urban Knowledge Centre Italy: National Centre for Town Planning Studies Greece: The Org. for the Master Plan and Environmental Protection of Thessaloniki Germany: German Institute of Urban Affairs Austria: Provincial Government of Styria, Department for Spatial Planning Law Contact: Alex House, Town & Country Planning Association, London +44 (0)20 7930 8903; alex.house@tcpa.org.uk; http://www.special-eu.org/; http://www.tcpa.org.uk/alex.house@tcpa.org.ukhttp://www.special-eu.org/http://www.tcpa.org.uk/