EU Cohesion Policy and Spatial Governance

Discussing the ongoing and future challenges of EU Cohesion Policy, this book critically addresses the economic, social and territorial challenges at the heart of the EU‘s policy. It identifies the multifaceted and dynamic nature of the policy as well as the interlinkage with other policies and considers unresolved questions of strategic importance in territorial governance, urban and regional inequalities, and social aspects and well-being.Interdisciplinary perspectives offer well-founded historical views, conceptual thoughts, policy insights and empirical analyses of EU Cohesion Policy, exploring under-represented territorial and spatial perspectives. Fostering a long term, visionary debate, the book looks into the controversial aspects of the policy. It concludes with a rich synthesis of the debate, emphasising three key concerns: disintegration as an alternative to the eroding idea of greater European integration; the discontent of cities and regions due to widening inequalities; and the discretion of member states which prevents the EU from engaging more deeply with social issues.With commentaries on each of the key areas provided by top scholars, this book will be an invigorating read for EU policy makers keen to gain a more critical understanding of key issues around territorial, social and economic cohesion. It will also be an insightful read for economic geography, spatial planning, political science, international relations, European studies and social science scholars in general.

‘The EU continues to lead the world in initiatives to promote cohesion, reduce socio-economic disparities between core and periphery, promote the Paris agreement, and advance sustainable development agendas through deliberate, evidence-based governance processes. This volume helps to make sense of the sometimes bewildering stream of new policies, debates, and achievements, while paying close attention to growing challenges of ‘disintegration, discontent, and discretion‘ that threaten progress. This fascinating and unflinching analysis of EU cohesion policies deserves a wide readership.‘

Edited by Daniel Rauhut, Affiliated Researcher, Centro de Estudos Geográficos, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal and Research Associate, Institute for Applied Research of Ageing, Villach, Austria, Franziska Sielker, Lecturer in Planning and Housing, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, UK and Alois Humer, Professor of Applied Geography, Spatial Research and Spatial Planning, Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Austria