Regionaler Raumordnungsplan (ROP) IV Westpfalz

Regionaler Raumordnungsplan (ROP) IV Westpfalz

Border Region
Western Palatinate planning region, Rhineland-Palatinate
Language(s)
Allemand
Type
Maps & spatial analysis
Politics (Spatial planning, culture, mobility,…)
Main Category
Regional Development – Sustainability
Governance – Power – Cooperation
Introduction

The Western Palatinate ROP sets out the regulatory and organisational framework of the regional development programme for the Western Palatinate planning region; it defines the role of spatial planning as the development, regulation and protection of the region's spaces and lays down the new emphases of the spatial planning action strategy due to changed societal framework conditions.

Summary

In the spatial planning field this involves the strengthening of the higher level central spaces as healthcare centres and interconnection points for public transport services, the reinforcement of basic centres to secure primary care provision to the population in neighbouring districts and to stabilise the comprehensive coverage of the population with public service facilities and equal opportunities for access. The basic principles on which the ROP is built are sustainability, equality and gender equality. The spatial planning instruments identified are central places (concentration of development potential and reinforcement of exchanges of services between different levels of central places and their spheres of influence), function identification, threshold values, functional networks, priority areas, regional green corridors, settlement breaks. In addition there are also statements on mobility and the environment (especially the protection of open spaces and climate protection).

Content

Table of contents:
I. Guidelines on spatial planning and regional development
I.1 Preliminary remarks
I.2 Role of spatial planning
I.3 Framework conditions
I.4 Guidelines on: Growth and Innovation
I.5 Designing the ROP
I.6 Implementing the ROP
II. Spatial planning goals and principles for settlements, open spaces and infrastructure
II.1 Settlement structure
II.2 Open space structure
II.3 Infrastructure
II.4 Spatial relevance of financial flows
III Strategic environmental assessments (SEA)

Conclusions

The central control element for the securing of public services is and remains the Central Place Concept (CPC). The Central Place Concept can do its job not only in a growing, but also in a shrinking society. However, to do so it must be adapted to the conditions of a symmetrically (in the spatial sense) growing and shrinking society. What matters is the development and implementation of situation-specific, innovative solutions and not hanging on to traditional demand standards. With that a redefinition of the equality postulate takes place: Equality not as optimisation imposed from above, but in the sense of fair access with minimum standards at the lowest level. Precisely in a society characterised by demographic change, it can no longer be about comprehensive equality, but rather about equal opportunity of access to sites with a public service offering.

Key Messages

Neither rural spaces nor conurbations are treated as independent categories of problem or action levels in their own right. Instead of predefined spatial categories, there are three central missions: Growth and  innovation, Securing public services, and the Preservation of resources and the Creation of cultural landscapes. Many people still think of the categories of town and country as opposites.  But it is clear with the passage of time that these mental patterns correspond less and less to reality. What counts now is the partnership between town and country.  The opposites of the past should be replaced by cooperation in the future. It is not a new discovery that town and country are economically dependent on one another. It is also known, moreover, that with regard to nature and culture town and country belong together. It is also known that, in the spirit of Europeanisation and globalisation, town and country can only assert themselves together. Urban and rural spaces together form the region.

Lead

Dr.-Ing. Hans-Günther Clev

Author of the entry
Karina
PALLAGST
Contributions

Planungsgemeinschaft Westpfalz

Links

https://www.pg-westpfalz.de/ropwestpfalz

Keywords
public services
demography
central places
spatial disparities
sustainable spatial development
Climate change
municipal funding
Contact Person(s)
Date of creation
2020