Overview of the relevant energy and spatial planning instruments
Local energy demand and the local potentials for energy supply are strongly interrelated with settlement structures. Therefore, the implementation of spatial planning instruments has a distinct influence on the clean energy transition, especially on local level. Knowing the extent to which local planning instruments affect energy demand and supply is essential to ensure an implementation that is consistent with clean energy transition strategies.
Planning on different levels
Although spatial planning frameworks are considerably different throughout European countries, in most of the countries planning occurs on different levels that interact with each other. While the legal framework is set on the national or provincial level, the local level, i.e. the municipality, is considered to be crucial in the determination of settlement structures and specific developments. By designing a liveable town with energy-efficient structures, municipalities can contribute considerably to the clean energy transition.
Energy planning on the other hand, does not follow this hierarchically structured framework as applied in the spatial planning framework, and occurs in a fragmented manner across different local and regional entities. Nevertheless, there are goals on the national level, like the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) in every EU-country, that need to be broken down to regions and municipalities. Out of these localised targets, energy strategies with specific measures on the municipal level can be derived.
From (inter-)national targets to local strategies
Beginning with the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2030 on a global level via the European Green Deal and other directives and programmes on the EU-level to the National Energy and Climate Plans, there is a widely ramified framework of targets towards the Clean Energy Transition. The national – or if available the regional – targets work as an underlying initial point to set up your own local strategy. To assess the baseline situation for a clean energy transition, the existing spatial patterns like settlement structures or transport systems, as well as the planned development, are crucial, as they determine both the energy demand and the potential for local renewable energy supply.
Goals, targets and strategies – from European to local level
Platzhaltergrafik
National frameworks
Out of the Plenty Life project, the national frameworks of four countries have been analysed in detail, below you can find more information on it.
- Austria
- Italy
- Portugal
- Romania
Planning system Austria
Austria is a federal republic with nine autonomous provinces and about 2,000 municipalities.
The provinces are accountable for spatial planning in the narrower sense, which includes legislation and all planning on the provincial and regional level. The local level, however, falls within the municipality’s own sphere of influence.
Some sectoral planning tasks, like railways, federal roads, or forestry, are settled on the federal level.
Four basic rules are of central importance for the functioning of the spatial planning system.
(1) The planning of a subspace must fit into the planning of the overall space (planning hierarchy).
(2) Analogously, there is also a plan hierarchy, which expresses that a superior plan in the planning hierarchy represents the decision-making framework for the subordinate plans.
(3) There are also obligations for vertical planning coordination. Co-ordination of the decisions of several planning authorities is ensured by the right of the subordinate planning authority to be heard, by the obligation of the provinces (“Bundesländer”) to provide administrative assistance, and by the exercise of supervisory rights with regard to plans of the municipalities.
(4) Horizontal planning coordination, i.e., the coordination of planning intentions at the same planning level with the neighbouring spatial unit (e.g. between neighbouring municipalities) is guaranteed by information obligations and consultation rights.
Local spatial planning
The municipalities are responsible for the implementation of local spatial planning in their own sphere of competence. In doing so, they must consider both federal and provincial laws.
The instruments of local spatial planning include (1) the local development concept, (2) the zoning plan, and (3) the development plan. These build on each other in the order mentioned and have an increasing level of detail. While the local development concept has a strategic character, the zoning plan represents the central regulatory instrument. The development plan determines the concrete structures.
Planning system Italy
Description of energy and spatial planning frameworks in Italy
Planning system Portugal
Description of energy and spatial planning frameworks in Portugal
Planning system Romania
Description of energy and spatial planning frameworks in Romania