Planning in between. A case study of three Supra-local Urban Plans in Catalonia (Spain)

PABLO ELINBAUM

Delft

Congreso; The Regional Studies International Conference 2012. Networked regions and cities in times of fragmentation: Developing smart, sustainable and inclusive places; 2012

Regional Studies Association

For over two decades, the territory of Catalonia has been developed basically by local planning and within municipal boundaries. However, the recent boom of supra-local planning shows that the territory is subject of an imminent restructuring. In this context, Supra-local Urban Plans (PDUs) play a leading role to consolidate the link between the regional and the local levels, exceeding the linear hierarchy of the planning system, to consolidate the territorial model proposed by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia (2003-2010). However, in practice, PDUs present different planning approaches that demonstrate its potential flexibility to adapt its scope and methodology to the uniqueness of each urban area addressed. The aim of this paper is to define the exceptionality of the innovative contributions and the instrumental specificity of PDUs through a multiple case study.