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).
The Rhineland-Palatinate sustainability strategy was first published in 2001. Since then it has been updated several times. The 2015 version of the Rhineland-Palatinate sustainability strategy brings together all the political strategies and approaches in favour of sustainable development and for the first time sets concrete goals for sustainable development in the state. These serve on the one hand to measure and evaluate the processes involved in moving towards sustainable development, and on the other hand, transparent represent the political will and can therefore contribute to orientation and better traceability for society. As well as presenting the challenges and goals in the different areas relevant to sustainable development, the sustainability strategy also a list of the advances achieved. These can be illustrated with statistical indicators on sustainable development. Areas where there is a need for action are also made clear in this way in the sustainability strategy.
Saarland's "Environment" regional development plan coordinates the supra-locally relevant land requirements. As a result of this coordination role, the plan defines priority areas for the protection of open countryside and natural resources, as well as for the spatial distribution of all the land uses and functions. The provisions on the spatial distribution of traffic and ad hoc infrastructure are also an integral part of the "Environment" regional development plan also . The provisions are defined in the form of binding goals and can be anchored both in writing and in graphic form in the regional development plan. The "Environment" regional development plan provides for balanced spatial development, planning for sustainable development of the environment whilst also factoring in the economic aspects.
The purpose of Saarland's "Settlements" regional development plan is to coordinate different land use claims. These claims on the land need to be weighed up against each other with regard to their supra-local relevance and certain specific land use functions need to be secured through regional planning. To fulfil this task, Saarland's "Settlements" regional development plan defines goals and principles that relate to or have a bearing on settlement structure development. In addition to the written provisions on this subject, a graphic map of the "Settlements" regional development plan also contains provisions in graphic form. Saarland's "Settlements" regional development plan represents a state-wide spatial development plan, which is aimed at ensuring the sustainability and environmental soundness of the state's future settlement development.
The aim of the 3Land project is to redevelop a trinational territory situated to the north of Basel, on both sides of the Rhine. This project has been the subject of two successive cross-border planning agreements between the municipalities concerned in Switzerland, France and Germany. Before these agreements were signed, an urban vision was produced by MVRDV/Cabane/Josepy and completed later by the LIN agency. The project focuses on the densification of a mixed use zone in the heart of the Basel cross-border metropolitan area, the improvement of the living environment and mobility and also economic redevelopment.
The Greater Geneva consultation is intended to renew the way territories look to the future taking into account sustainable development issues. This consultation involves the active participation of all the actors in the territory along with experts in territorial development and other related fields. The process has produced 7 concrete, mapped-out proposals for the transition of the cross-border territory of Greater Geneva. The aim of these proposals is to raise awareness among citizens, politicians and other actors of the urgency of the climate change issue and the wide variety of possible ways of responding to it.
GR-Atlas is an interactive, interdisciplinary, thematic atlas of the “Greater Region SaarLorLux.” The atlas is the central result of a research project funded first by the Fonds National de Recherche (FNR = The Luxembourg National Research Fund) and then by the University of Luxembourg. The bilingual (German/French) atlas, which is constantly being added to, presents about 50 different thematic maps, which are based on an internet geographical information system (WebGIS) and have been created across borders for as much of the Greater Region as possible. Four maps show a diachronic view of a phenomenon by means of an interactive timeline. The objects displayed on the maps are linked to a database that can be accessed interactively. The map section is supplemented by a text section with explanations and illustrations of the individual maps.
