Strategic planning for sustainable urban development: issues paper

This paper presents issues and themes emerging from experience of implementing Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (SUD), under Article 7 of the ERDF regulation. Based on a review of academic and policy sources, the aim is to inform knowledge exchange, partricularly in the context of strategic planning for SUD implementation in the 2021-2027 period. Section 2 sets the varied context for SUD implementation in 2014-2020 before highlighting some of the most significant challenges and constraints faced by programme authorities and urban authorities involved in SUD. Section 3 breifly summarises implementation progress identified in assessments of SUD implementation, in terms of financial performance but also concerning the identification of specific benefits that are now emerging. Section 4 describes some basic organising principles that can support good practice before the concluding section breifly summarises key issues to be considered in the context of planning for SUD in the 2021-2027 period.

Paper presented at a conference on Sustainable Urban Development.