- Cooperation of spatial planning and state development companies   46 kb by    Eisold, Tobias | tobias.eisold@gmx.de    Short Outline The paper is based on the thought that spatial planning may cooperate with partners who can complete its competencies. State development companies are suitable institutions for cooperation. The challenge to cooperate derives from the aspect, that spatial planning in Germany is subject to various criticisms. They refer, for example, to planning's perception in public opinion, lacking efforts to implement plans, and its ability to coordinate spatial activities of state authorities. Cooperation of spatial planning and state development companies can be successfully implemented if some prerequisites are fulfilled, such as activity of state development company in public interest, availability of resources, and an institutional structure that meets the demands of the cooperation process. Abstract This research project investigated whether spatial planning can play a more active part in a region if it co-operates with spatial development companies. The reasons for the topic were the criticisms of spatial planning in Germany. Planning is criticized as being - hardly recognized in public opinion; - low motivation to make its plans and programmes a reality; - lacking ability to coordinate different levels/bodies of government and - the density of regulation and duration of planning procedures. To cope with ist challenges, spatial planning should cooperate with state development companies. These are public sector enterprises with a wide experience in spatial development. That point is behind the research project. It was even more interesting to concern with those development corporations because scientific spatial research, at least in Germany, has never dealt with institutions like spatial development companies. Important results of the research are as follows. 1. During their 80 years history, the companies changed from housing societies to spatial development and real estate companies. 2. The companies deliver a wide range of services in the field of housing, planning, and infrastructure. 3. Present co-operation with spatial planning depends on the policy of the companies‘ stakeholders. High expectations for profits are a disadvantage for co-operation. 4. There are various trends for the future of these companies: ongoing privatization, entrepreneurial responsibility, achievement of profits and function as a strategic instrument for politics. 5. Empirical results support the argument that development corporations should stay in public ownership. It may be interesting for planners to discuss how co-operation between state development companies and spatial planning can encourage spatial development and the implementation of plans and how to create an institutional structure. The approach to link planning and realization can also be adopted in other countries, because public sector enterprises with the task of spatial development do not only exist in Germany. Keywords cooperation, state development company, spatial planning Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2003: Planning in a more globalized World   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper