future activities

ICLRD will continue to support the development of a non-statutory collaborative framework for spatial planning by both Governments. The ICLRD partners have proposed the following activities commencing in June, 2008. The activities build upon priorities identified through our current research; discussions with central and local policy officials, cross-border bodies and community groups as well as our conferences and workshops. The proposed applied research and activities will link closely with policy makers and practitioners through the use of steering committees, working groups, scoping seminars and the capacity building programmes.

Applied research programme on: Sustainable Development and Rural Development: Spatial Planning, Rural Communities and Rural Restructuring
Applied research programme on: Urban Clusters and the Implications for Defining Functional Regions and Development Corridors.
A briefing paper on Inter-Jurisdictional Planning and Promoting Non-Statutory Collaboration.
Supporting Evidence-Informed Spatial Planning through the development of Spatial Indicators and the Mapping of Strategic Infrastructure and Key Services;
Building capacity through Professional Development Programmes;
Outreach to Support Dialogue on the Implementation of the Collaborative Framework; this will include seminars leading to the ICLRD annual conference and a ‘journal’ launched in cooperation with the Centre for Cross Border Studies.

More detailed descriptions of these activities will be posted under current activities in July, 2008.

Cross-Border Spatial Planning Development and Training Network

ICLRD is part of a larger EU INTERREG IV funding application submitted by its partner the Centre for Cross-Border Studies for The Ireland-Northern Ireland Cross-Border Cooperation Observatory. Under the proposal, ICLRD will develop a ‘Cross-Border Spatial Planning Development and Training Network beginning in 2009.

Planning in Northern Ireland and the border region would be greatly facilitated by a Network to bring together planners, housing providers, economic development officers, local councillors and community and business interests to promote more systematic learning and exchange. Such a Network (CroSPlaN) would provide services such as:

Training for Network members in innovative planning (how to promote areas of co-operation based on functional relationships/territorial economy), operational linkages, institutional competencies, monitoring indicators and financing;
Training modules based on the emerging findings of current ICLRD research projects: e.g. cross-border land use; the joint managing of a service (e.g. waste disposal) by agencies in the two jurisdictions; the harmonisation of planning regulations through non-statutory mechanisms;
Providing research results, local best practice documentation, short briefing papers on topical issues and other support activities to Network members;
Documenting and disseminating relevant external best planning practices cases from EU and elsewhere (external precedents can help convince local decision makers to adapt new approaches).