Shaping European spatial planning. How Italy’s experience can contribute

Despite an intensifying debate in recent years, a shared de®nition of European spatial planning is still unclear. As a concept that emerged following the acknowledgement of the involvement of the EU in territorial and urban matters, European spatial planning established itself in the making and `application’ of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP), undoubtedly the most significant evidence of a new deal for planning throughout Europe. Italy did not play a primary role in the ESDP drafting process, nor has the ESDP seen exemplary application in this country so far. Nevertheless, the important changes that have occurred in Italian planning practices in the past decade seem to owe much to the innovations introduced by EU intervention. These experiences would seem to lead to the sharing of a wider framework for European spatial planning, something perhaps necessary if a brighter future for the ESDP is to be achieved.