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DOWNLOAD: Beyond Plan B Workbooks I - V

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Available for download now, all Beyond Plan B Workbooks!

We are pleased to present to you the five Beyond Plan B Workbooks. Currently we are working on a 'best of' of all workbooks - called "Essentials" - that will summarise the research done over the last 2 years of Beyond Plan B. We will keep you posted!

Workbook I  ‘Project-Analysis’ - summarizes our research into projects and strategies with a spatial impact which were initialized to improve the position and resilience of regions.

Workbook II ‘Core & Periphery’ contents a first reflection on the conditions of being a core or a periphery in europe. The workbook investigates the socio-economic position of the rhine-regions.

Workbook III 'Rhinecon' aims to explore how to strengthen the economic resilience of the Rhine region in relation to other parts of Europe and the world. In this way core periphery relationships between economics and spatial development are explored.

Workbook IV ‘Regions’ summarises our research into the challenges regions operating in our research area are facing and dealing with. 

Workbook V 'Project Conclusions' continues where workbook I ended. The research method as presented in the first beyond plan B workbook is further developed. 

You can download a (low resolution) PDF of each of the workbooks from this website, please contact us if you're interested in a higher resolution version.

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DOWNLOAD: Workbook III

Available for download now, Workbook III: Rhinecon. This study aims to explore how to strengthen the economic resilience of the Rhine region in relation to other parts of Europe and the world.

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Available for download now, Workbook III: Rhinecon. 


A research conducted by Ronald Wall, with an introduction by Frank van Oort.

As with the previous workbooks this study aims to explore how to strengthen the economic resilience of the Rhine region in relation to other parts of Europe and the world. In this way core periphery relationships between economics and spatial development are explored.

The workbook consists of two parts. The first part will focus on a descriptive research on Foreign direct investment (FDI). The second part of the workbook will focus on a more explanatory analysis on the spatial indicators of this research.

Where the first part of the workbook descriptively explores the inward and outward structure of FDI into Rhine Core and its sub-cores, the proposition of the second part is that FDI does not randomly locate in regions and cities, but is attracted by specific determinants.

You can download a (low resolution) PDF of Workbook III, please contact us if you're interested in a higher resolution version.

Also added is a PDF of the presentation held by Ronald Wall on may 2nd 2015

 



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SYMPOSIUM: ''Regions and Projects"

The symposium ‘Regions and Projects’ focused on the bigger picture of the Rhine-Region and the characteristics and strategies of our partner regions with the aim to link both scales to the results of the research on projects.

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SYMPOSIUM BEYOND PLAN B


Cologne, 17.07.14, 14-18 h, Haus der Architektur

The symposium ‘Regions and Projects’ focused on the bigger picture of the Rhine-Region and the characteristics and strategies of our partner regions with the aim to link both scales to the results of the research on projects.

 

BLOCK 1


Keynote

Frank van Oort

“Economic potentials of the Rhine corridor – myths and realities”

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

Input

Theo Deutinger

“Core and Periphery”

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

Input

Helmut Thoele

“4 regions, one comparative approach”

 

DISCUSSION BLOCK 1

Helmut Thoele’s input sets the starting point for a discussion of current means in metropolitan development in the four partnering regions. Despite the broad range of issues partners bring to discussion individual concerns clustered around a certain thematic core. All partners describe a significant shift from mainly physical planning tasks with a technical plan as the central instrument to new assignments in the context of metropolitan development.

Significant shift from mainly physical planning tasks to new assignments in the context of metropolitan development.

This shift extends from broadened communication schemes for the idea of metropolisation, up to the adoption of new fields of action, set outside traditional planning agendas, such as education (Rhein-Ruhr). In this shift the orientation on strategic objectives is discussed as a strong hold for metropolitan planning. Flexible approaches are considered to be the means to achieve them. In this process the negotiation of a new balance between formal planning instruments, such as plans and long-term fixed policy guidelines, and informal ones, aiming at communication and a broader legitimation of metropolitan planning, is an important moment.

Related to this re-orientation there is also a quest for a broader involvement on metropolitan planning. Whereas some regional planning organizations seek direct and strong relations to people in the area also in strategic matters (Rhein-Ruhr, Rhein-Neckar); others build on vernacular knowledge of decision makers and seek the feedback of the end users more with regard to concrete projects (Köln-Bonn). However, all participants agree that the region is not ‘one big thing’, but that it is made up by single entities that contribute with their particular qualities to a metropolis.

 the region is not ‘one big thing’, but that it is made up by single entities that contribute with their particular qualities to a metropolis.

As a final conclusion of the discussion stands on one hand the term of the regional DNA, that refers to modes of development, core economic fields, typologies, landscape potentials etc. that have guided processes in a region over longer periods. On the other hand ‘plan b capacity’ is defined as the ability of decision makers to derive valid long-term objectives from these pre-conditions and to achieve them set on adaptable strategies.

 

BLOCK2


Input

Matthias Rottmann

“Project Research”

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

Input

Stefan Carsten

“Germany: Future scenarios”

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

DISCUSSION BLOCK 2

The discussion readopts current shifts in planning as the central topic. Projects are highlighted as a means to facilitate this re-orientation practically and to establish new structures and objectives. Opposed to the perpetuation of old planning guidelines they can be used to develop new topics and areas of intervention.

Projects are vehicles and catalysts for regional development.

These projects are vehicles and catalysts for regional development, because they help stakeholders to gain a common picture of a region and to elaborate joint planning objectives for it.

Projects stand also for the highly complex organisational patterns in which planning takes place. The professional management and communication of processes is stressed not to be an end in itself, but rather as a means to achieve a high embeddedness of planning projects in their societal context. This is considered an important success factor.

The general increase of bottom-up projects is discussed positively. However, decisive for the success of metropolitan strategies is the effective interplay of different governmental levels, corporative agendas and initiatives. Respectively multi-level governance remains at the core of metropolitan development.

The concluding words clarify that there is no alternative solution apart from the regional one. To achieve the goals of metropolitan development and gain a common understanding on these goals, projects are an important driver. Spatial quality on a bigger scale is gained in these processes by introducing a regional design perspective.

PROFILES OF REGIONS

Beyond the topics brought-up, the different institutional set-ups and conceptions of the metropolitan bodies are reflected in issues they handle and approaches they apply. This also characterises the debate.

The Regionalverband Ruhr builds current policies on the rich history of regional planning in the Ruhr area and a particular strong focus on project making on a metropolitan scale. Structural change and the requirements this brought-up for the physical constitution of the area have been the central fields of action for metropolitan planning earlier. Today the regions socio-economic make-up gains increasing importance as a development aim and is approached in the particular working field of education policies.

 The regions socio-economic make-up gains increasing importance.

In the Region Köln-Bonn metropolitan development rests highly on the capitalisation of the intrinsic potentials of the area and the understanding of it as a highly successful cultural landscape with many small and medium sized urban cores, whose history traces back to Roman times. More recently the region managed to deal positively with the relocation of governmental functions from Bonn to Berlin.

The setting of a metropolitan or rather regional agenda in the Rhein-Neckar-area followed the initiative of companies such as BASF. The regional development agency is also largely funded by companies settled in the area. At the same time it is politically legitimised by all three federal districts it cuts across. In setting regional development aims it acts in the tension between corporative interests and the development agendas of three legitimised governments.

Vereniging Deltametropool operates currently in a situation where planning in the Netherlands, as an effect of governmental cut backs, is stripped down to core tasks. As a result the discussion on concepts, such as the Deltametropolis or the Randstad at decision making levels is currently rather low. In this situation the Vereniging seeks to set impulses for region building by the generation of knowledge and the set-up of concrete projects in the fields of transport-oriented-development and the metropolitan landscape and by initiating a discussion on the character of the metropolis.

 

REPORT: Isabel Neumann

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WORKSHOP: Projects and Zone

The first Beyond Plan B workhop was held on September 20th at the Zwarte Hond in Rotterdam. 

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The first Beyond Plan B workhop was held on September 20th at the Zwarte Hond in Rotterdam. Aim of the workshop was to conclude towards the finish of the first part of the research and the focus was on the products related to that part. Input for the discussion was a presentation on the first conclusions of the project analysis and a presentation on core-periphery and the research area. Ronald Wall, Frank van Oort and Paul Gerretsen were invited to join the discussion. 

The presentations can be downloaded below (PDF)

We're currently working on turning the results of the first phase of the research in a set of workbooks that will be available for download within the next few weeks. 

20.09.2013 BEYOND PLAN B WORKSHOP ROTTERDAM

PROJECTS / CORE + PERIPHERY / AREA

Aim of the workshop is to conclude together towards the finish of the first part of beyond plan b Focus is on the products related to that part. Therefore we will have a closer look on the content produced so far about projects, core+periphery and – partly overlapping – the area. So far the idea is to conlcude and finish the first part with the following products:

  • 1 workshop with external experts and partner-regions
  • 1 booklet about projects

                80% based on presentation, but worked out towards a pdf)

                update of the webpage + downloadable pdf

  • 1 booklet about core + periphery  

                (80% based on presentation, but worked out towards a pdf)

                evtl. linked to: 1 booklet about the area

                incl. a first quick analysis of economic networks by Ronald ?

                update of the webpage + downloadable pdf

  • a first set of interviews with experts (2 are done / 2 more?)

            Agenda

9.15        we start at DeZwartehond in Rotterdam(Rotterdam Building Aert van

               Nesstraat 45)           

                Idea of the day + agendaproposal – Helmut

                (all the prints and the material needed is on ‘the wall’

                – Helmut / Jens / Matthias / Gorka / Theo do preparation(thursday + friday

               morning 8.30)

9.30        presentation ‘core+periphery’ by Theo

                30 minutes presentation

                + 30 minutes discussion

                + 30 minutes - first conclusions towards products

                – notation of open questions towards experts /regions

11.00      coffee break

11.10      presentation ‘projects #1’ by Jens / Helmut

                - 40 minutes presentation

                + 20 minutes discussion

                + 30 minutes first conclusions towards products

                – notation of open questions towards experts /regions

12.45      a first reaction + a first idea about a quick research on relevant economical

               networks by Ronald

13.15      lunch

14.00      preparing towards a presentation of results and conclusions /questions

14.30      Paul Gerretsen and Frank van Oort join

14.45      presentation of results + ideas about finishing towards Frank and Paul

                Theo + all about core+periphery

                Jens /Helmut + all about projects

16.00      reflection, conclusions, hints and planning towards workshop (finish part 1)

17.30      finish 

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FRAMEWORK: Economic cycles

In economics, Kondratiev waves (also called supercycles, great surges, long waves, K-waves or the long economic cycle) are supposedly cycle-like phenomena in the modern world economy...

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In economics, Kondratiev waves (also called supercycles, great surges, long waves, K-waves or the long economic cycle) are supposedly cycle-like phenomena in the modern world economy.

Kuznets connected waves with demographic processes, in particular with immigrant inflows/outflows and the changes in construction intensity that they caused. Kuznets swings have been also interpreted as infrastructural investment cycles.

Juglar cycle is a fixed investment cycle of 7 to 11 years. Within the Juglar cycle one can observe oscillations of investments into fixed capital and not just changes in the level of employment of the fixed capital

This cycle is believed to be accounted for by time lags in information movements affecting the decision making of commercial firms.

A basic economic/business cycle usually consist of 4 stages: prosperity, recession, derpression and improvement.


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Why projects? - What are we after?

Realized projects and executed plans are the physical results of implemented strategies responding to sudden crises or shifting conditions. The main goal is to identify and compare underlying patterns and strategies.

We think that...

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Realized projects and executed plans are the physical results of implemented strategies responding to sudden crises or shifting conditions. The main goal is to identify and compare underlying patterns and strategies.

We think that the responding actions are basically aiming towards 3 targets:

  • resilience 
  • competitiveness 
  • sustainability

Within these targets we identified 5 basic objectives projects are dealing with:

  1. connecting
  2. optimalization
  3. (re)programming
  4. (new)centrality
  5. initial impulse
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Aussgangssituation

Investieren oder Sparen? - das scheint die grosse Kernfrage zu sein. Welche Herausforderungen und Trends stehen wir dabei gegenüber, und welche Kräfte und Koalitionen sind entscheidend? 

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Investieren oder Sparen ?

Die politische und ökonomische Landschaft Europas verändert sich rapide. Sich überlappende Krisen und darunter liegende strukturelle Herausforderungen verlangen nach Entscheidungen. Investieren oder Sparen? Diese Frage wird von zwei klassischen politischen und wirtschaftstheoretischen Lagern unterschiedlich beantwortet. Beide Extreme und ihre Zwischentöne haben räumliche Konsequenzen für Ausbau, Rückbau und Instandhaltung des territorialen Kapitals von Regionen.

Herausforderungen

Neben einem erhöhten Innovationsdruck auf die europäische Wirtschaft durch die Entstehung neuer globaler wirtschaftlicher Kerne und Peripherien, Märkte und Netzwerke, geben regionale und lokale Faktoren Anlass zur Sorge. Demografische Trends, Veränderungen der wirtschaftlichen Struktur hin zu einer wissensbasierten und gleichzeitig produktiveren und nachhaltigen Wirtschaft, Veränderungen in althergebrachten ‚Geschäftsmodellen’ verschiedener Akteure und die zunehmende Frage der nachhaltigen Sicherung der Lebensqualität treffen auf eine wachsende Ungleichheit der Lebensbedingungen zwischen ‘starken’ und ‘schwachen’ Regionen. Beyond Plan B geht davon aus, dass die Arbeit an der Transformation und Optimierung bestehender Strukturen vor dem Hintergrund beschränkter Ressourcen zu den zentralen Herausforderungen der Zukunft gehört. 

Politisches Kräftefeld und neue Koalitionen

So groß die Uneinigkeit über zu viel oder zu wenig Staat im Allgemeinen auch ist - in Krisenzeiten kehrt der flankierende und reflexartige Ruf nach staatlichem Eingreifen aus den unterschiedlichsten Lagern, mit den unterschiedlichsten Interessen deutlich hörbar zurück.

Obwohl die politischen Akteure auf Krisengipfeln allgegenwärtig sind, scheint es, dass ‘der Staat’, Regierungen und Kommunen in Zeiten schrumpfender Haushalte und Fördermittel auf ganzer Linie Abstand nehmen von der Idee langfristiger öffentlicher und kollektiver Investitionen in räumliche Strategien und Projekte. Wer ist Ansprechpartner und welche Koalitionen bieten sich an?

Kriterien

Einst verlässliche Kriterien zur Entscheidung über staatliche und private Investitionen scheinen nicht mehr zu greifen. Fehlendes Vertrauen und eine immer undeutlichere Rollenverteilung zwischen Staat, Wirtschaft und Finanzwelt erschweren bislang einen geordneten Diskurs über konkrete Handlungsoptionen.

Standpunktausstausch statt Debatte

Während das Haltbarkeitsdatum der vorhandenen Instrumente zur Stimulation von Wachstum und Konjunktur immer schneller abläuft steigt der Konkurrenzdruck auf Regionen um Investitionen und Mensche. Zeitgleich dominieren ökonomische Debatten die öffentliche Diskussion. Ideologische und populistische Standpunkte werden vor dem Hintergrund abstrakter Geldmengen ausgetauscht, die Verknüpfung von Argumenten und Disziplinen erfolgt nicht. Das Potenzial einer Konfrontation von ökonomischen und räumlichen Perspektiven bleibt noch ungenutzt

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Beyond Plan B = Strategiewechsel

Wenn Plan B nicht mehr funktioniert, ist es Zeit einen Strategiewechsel vorzubereiten.

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Wie kann ein Strategiewechsel aussehen? Mit Beyond Plan B machen wir uns auf die Suche nach Antworten und räumlichen Argumenten. Dabei wollen wir keine abstrakte Krisendiskussion führen, sondern kommende Herausforderungen mit räumlichen Perspektiven verknüpfen. Beyond Plan B ist auf Handlungsoptionen für Regionen im Stromgebiet des Rheines gerichtet.

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Bausteine

Das Projekt besteht aus drei Hauptkomponenten

Projekte (Analyse von Projekten die im Kontext von Krisen entstanden sind)
Gebiet (Analyse und Positionierung)
Debatte (Übertragung der Ergebnisse auf das Untersuchungsgebiet)

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Projektanalyse

Wir analysieren dazu die räumlichen Komponenten von Konjunkturprogrammen, Strukturförderungen, Strategien zum Strukturwandel, New Deals und dazugehöriger Projekte aus der Vergangenheit. Wir befragen diese dabei nach dem Dreieck von räumlichen, ökonomischen und politischen Zielen, Effekten und Wirkungsmechanismen. Ein Vergleich ihres Hintergrundes ist gleichzeitig inhaltlicher Anlass und Unterbauung eines Diskurses. Danach betrachten wir die Effekte und fragen nach möglichen Bewertungen. Was waren die kurz- als auch langfristigen Auswirkungen? Warum sind manche Projekte erfolgreich und andere nicht? Wie kann gesteuert oder beeinflusst werden?

Analyse und Positionierung des Gebietes / Kern und Peripherie in Europa

Wir analysieren das Stromgebiet des Rheines räumlich, ökonomisch und politisch. Dabei testen wir die Begriffe Kern und Peripherie sowie agglomerationsvor- und nachteile auf verschiedenen Maßstäben.

Debatte und Uebertragung der Ergebnisse

Welche Perspektiven auf das Gebiet ergeben sich aus Projekt- und Gebietsanalyse? Welche Handlungsoptionen und gemeinsame Interessen ergeben sich auf verschiedenen Maßstäben. Was bedeuten Ergebnisse für bisherige Paradigmen auf EU-, nationalem und regionalem Maßstab? 

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Spielfeld

Gebiet, Spielfeld und Diskurs

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Gebiet

Das Stromgebiet des Rheines bildet nicht nur historisch, räumlich, ökonomisch und politisch Europas Rückgrat, sondern steht auch vor größeren grenzüberschreitenden räumlichen und ökonomischen Herausforderungen. Der Rhein überschreitet in seinen funktionellen, räumlichen und wirtschaftlichen Zusammenhängen nationale Grenzen. Diese Grenzen bestimmen jedoch oft noch immer die jeweiligen nationalen juristischen und haushaltspolitischen Rahmenbedingungen einzelner Regionen. Der Rhein verbindet zudem dichte Metropolregionen mit extensiveren ländlichen Räumen. Er ist Infrastruktur und Landschaft zugleich und verbindet gleichzeitig kollektive räumliche und ökonomische Identität.

Spielfeld und Diskurs

Die Ergebnisse der Analyse und die einleitenden Essays sorgen für eine Abgrenzung des Spielfeldes für einen Diskurs. Chancen und Aufgaben werden gleichzeitig aus dem Blickwinkel räumlicher ‚Hardware’ als auch der ‚Software’ aus wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen betrachtet. Die Konfrontation der ‚Entwicklerteams’ beider Bereiche kann die Krisendiskussion mit Handlungsoptionen für einen Strategiewechsel ergänzen.

Eine Visualisierung der wichtigsten Trends und anstehenden Aufgaben bildet den Hintergrund zur Diskussion der relevanten räumlichen Maßstäbe und Wirtschaftsentitäten. Interviews und Essays aus verschiedenen Perspektiven beleuchten die bisherige Praxis, Konzepte und Erfahrungen. Beispielhafte Strategien und Positionen aus Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Städtebau, Regionalplanung, Ingenieurwesen, Geografie, Politik und unternehmerischem Handeln werden aus ihrem Fachkontext herausgelöst und vergleichend betrachtet.

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METHOD: Project typologies

Projects typologies based on the economic moment, objectives and 5 actions (arranged in a spidergraph).

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Projects typologies based on the economic moment, objectives and 5 actions (arranged in a spidergraph).

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METHOD: Core - Periphery

Everything is either core or perifery. A ‘scaleless’ and ‘endless’ principle.

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Everything is either core or perifery. A ‘scaleless’ and ‘endless’ principle.

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