European developments in strategic spatial planning

Strategic spatial planning which takes an integrated approach to the development of a territory seemed to go out of fashion, but now there are signs that it is being re‐established. This paper explores these developments using case studies from 10 European countries. The analysis uses an ‘institutionalist’ approach, which examines how the ‘agency’ of spatial planning practices responds to the ‘structure’ of contextual forces, at the same time influencing that structure. The ‘driving forces’ which are influencing strategic spatial planning are investigated, as are two aspects of the changes in spatial planning: institutional relations and policy agendas. The conclusions are that—at least in the case studies—there is a movement in the institutional relations towards horizontal articulation, territorial logic, and negotiative forms. Policy agendas too are changing, becoming more selective and using new conceptions of space and place. Those institutional developments, however, are not necessarily being translated into territorially‐integrated policy (as distinct from functional/sectoral policy). That translation appears to require simultaneous re‐framing of relational resources (trust, social capital), knowledge resources (intellectual capital), linked to strong mobilization efforts (political capital). The cases considered varied significantly in how far that had been done. Where it had, strategic spatial plan‐making practices were playing a key role in developing institutional territorial integration and re‐invigorating territorial identities.     

La France n'accepte pas de payer le prix de ses ambitions

This article takes as its starting point the massive changes in French political, economic and social life since the 1960s, as part of a process of internationalisation involving world trade and the commitments of European integration. In particular, the myth of the all-powerful state and old ideological quarrels have been laid to rest. However, the state itself has been slow to reform and has often used international commitments as an excuse for inaction. Most importantly, the gap between elite and public has slowed down modernisation and fuelled fear of the future. More imaginative solutions to public policy and more rigorous policy evaluation are needed.     

Italy in the Aftermath of the First World War

France and Italy at the Paris Peace Conference     

Experimental characterization of the constitutive materials composing an old masonry vaulted tunnel of the Paris subway system

A significant proportion of the Paris metro tunnels comprise a masonry vault built out of stone blocks and mortar joints, and sidewalls and slabs made of unreinforced concrete. In order to provide the necessary data for future structural evaluation, an extensive laboratory testing programme has been conducted to characterize the materials of the tunnel separately, i.e., mortar, stone, and concrete. The tests, carried out on specimens taken from cores extracted from a 1930s tunnel, enabled to determine the mechanical properties, including direct tensile, shear strength, and mode I fracture energy, as well as the properties of the stone-mortar interface. Results show that the masonry mortar joints could reach 10 cm in width, and that blocks of stone varied in composition and porosity, thus producing a wide range of mechanical properties. The concrete was composed of large-sized aggregates and showed low stiffness and strength. Based on these experimental results, ratios between mechanical characteristics are hereby proposed. Perspectives on the use of this experimental data in a finite element model are then discussed.     

Le Quartier: Étude Géographique Et Psycho-Sociologique

Les problèmes de la vie sociale en milieu urbain doivent être étudiés non dans un espace géographique au sens étroit, ni dans un espace social indépendent de l'espace géographique mais dans un espace socio-géographique qu'il importe de définir pour chaque agglomération. (P.-H. Chombart de Lauwe, Des hommes et des villes , p. 41)