ESPON is financing 4 new applied research projects over the coming two to three years. The projects cover a variety of themes: from the EU 2020 Strategy to Territorial Scenarios and Visions for Europe to Territorial Potentials for a Greener Economy and Territorial Governance.

The European Parliament has published a study on the Visions and Options for Cohesion Policy after 2013 which is also based on ESPON data and finding. One of the policy recommendations to inform the position of the European Parliament is “The potential contribution of ESPON to policy design and delivery needs to be better exploited”.

How to face challenges and use potentials of land use patterns and dynamics? Find out more at the Interim Report of the Project EU-LUPA / European Land Use Patterns

Brussels, 20 October 2011 Regional indicators for territorial cohesion are increasingly in demand. ESPON invites policy makers, regional practitioners and scientists to attend the workshop where participants will debate which indicators can be used to better understand and illustrate different facets of territorial cohesion.

Johannes Hahn, Michael Smyth, Claude Wiseler and Peter Mehlbye talk about ESPON

About 200 participants from 153 Institutions and 26 countries around Europe attended the Info Day and Partner Café in Brussels on 13 September 2011. The presentations are now online.

ESPON releases today the final report of EDORA - European Development Opportunities in Rural Areas. This applied research project has studied the changes which are taking place in rural areas of Europe, and their increasing diversity, in order to develop a clear and consistent rationale for policy to enhance territorial cohesion.

In the framework of the Calls for Proposals, ESPON invited for an Info Day and Partner Café in Brussels on 13 September 2011. The registration for the Info Day is now closed.

At the third congress of EUGEO, to be held on 30 August 2011 in London, key note speakers will address issues ranging from Sustainability, Environment and Politics to New World/New Europe. ESPON will give the presentation “European Territorial Dynamics: Towards Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive territories?”.

The European Economic and Social Committee invited ESPON to present its activities to the members of the ECO section on 1 September 2011.