Tom 76 (2018): Zeszyt 3 (June 2018)

Although institutionalized media and jurisdiction could be counted to the actors of spatial planning, only few is known in international and national spatial planning research about their role in spatial planning processes in relation to actors in politics, administration, civil society and economy. If and to which extend do they have an influence on planning processes? In other policy areas (e.g. foreign and finance policy) – especially the influence of the media on political processe – is quite better explored and for the role of jurisdiction there are at least some findings. Based on this knowledge in this exclusive literature-based article first hypothesises for the policy area spatial planning are formulated. Thus, the roles of media und jurisdiction are varying between the specific phases of the policy cycle in a complementing manner: While the media play an important role in the phases of problem formulation and agenda setting and loose importance in the following political process, the jurisdiction has a selective but probabely leading influence in the later phases. Together, both groups of actors in media and jurisdiction can form planning processes significantly, therefore their common analysis in empirical studies makes sense.

Currently, spatial planning contributes to the management of flood risks by keeping flood-prone area free of further development. This approach does not contribute to the reduction of flood risks which are mainly related to already built-up areas. For reducing flood risks, threatened settlement and infrastructure have to be protected or retreated from flood-prone areas. This paper discusses managed settlement retreat. First, the present role of spatial planning in flood risk management is investigated by means of a literature survey and an analysis of the practice of spatial planning in all major territorial states. Moreover, existing examples for managed settlement retreat from Germany and other countries are analysed. Managed settlement retreat can be conceptualized as a proactive or reactive planning strategy in order to reduce flooding risk. The paper presents the results of a gaming simulation of a proactive settlement retreat in Saxonia (Germany). This test proved the applicability of managed settlement retreat in context or urban renewal. Here, a close cooperation between urban development, regional planning and water management is seen as a success factor.

Climate change and demographic change interact. Impacts in the context of climate change do not solely result from climate change and climate variability. They are a consequence of interrelations between climate and social change. Diverse settlement structures as well as a heterogeneous population lead towards small-scale sensitivities in the face of climate variability and extreme events. Who is sensitive, at what time and at what location become central questions of urban and spatial planning, aiming at sustainable cities and communities, good health and well-being as well as reduced inequalities. Demography is, next to politics, culture, economy, education or religion, the most substantial factor regarding these questions due to its profound knowledge and methodological toolbox on population dynamics. Therefore, the article aims at analysing the spatial patterns of demographic and climate change. The integrated assessment of climatic and demographic indicators reveals major spatial patterns for Germany: urban growth in warmer climate types as well as dismantling and vacancy in drier climate types. In both cases, an extreme change in population volume and/or structure takes place parallel to an increasing climatic exposure. This leads towards growing adaption needs. Planning science and practice needs to revise its taboos (manage retreat) and premises (internal before external development) as well as integrate new findings (adaptive strategies) and technical innovations (digital information sources).

The safeguarding of primary health care in rural regions is broadly discussed in science, politics and practice. Thereby the knowledge about current location factors is insufficient, because existing studies focus on professional factors or on locational imaginations of future doctors instead of analysing effective locational decisions. Thus, this study asks which professional and private location factors influence the settling decisions of general practitioners in rural regions. Therefore two regional case studies are conducted with overall 21 interviews with regional experts and newly settled doctors, working out crucial location factors. Building on that, the influence of chosen location factors for regional unequal practitioner concentrations as well as for the development of practitioner numbers are nationwide quantified by multiple regression models. The results show, that professional aspects, like economic security, close patient contacts and organisational freedom, as well as biographical relations are especially decisive criteria for the doctors’ location decisions. Furthermore, family-friendly everyday environments are very important for many of them. Other soft location factors as high standard cultural and leisure facilities are negligible. Furthermore, there is a relationship between inpatient and outpatient care. Many general practitioners worked in a regional hospital, before they switched to the ambulant sector, due to better working conditions and an easier compatibility with family life. The results point to a change of location factors, whereby further needs for research and concrete policy recommendations arise.

Retail trade is no longer occurring in urban centres or suburban malls on the edge of cities, exclusively. It increasingly takes place online. The aim of this study is to examine the determining factors for in-store and online shopping respectively. The results are based on a survey of approximately 2,900 people in the six North Rhine-Westphalian city regions of Aachen, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Münster and Cologne. Depending on the distance to each particular urban centre, 26 neighbourhoods were chosen to conduct the questionnaires. In all six city regions it is apparent that instead of spatial factors selected demographic and socio-economic forces determine buyer behaviour. While gender, age and lifestyles are important in terms of online shopping, income is no longer an influencing parameter.