Fresh Wind or Hot Air—Does the Governance Discourse Have Something to Offer to Spatial Planning?

Abstract

Governance is broadly speaking about the regulation of publicly relevant affairs. In this respect, spatial planning is certainly a part of governance. This article explores whether spatial planning can benefit from the rich debates that have evolved around the governance concept. It provides an overview of the principal variants of the governance concept and discusses their potential implications for planning. Using a concrete planning case, the article explores whether the governance concept can help to acquire a systematic understanding of planning reality. The article concludes that spatial planning can benefit from using governance as both a conceptual reference for reflection on planning action and an analytical tool for the study of concrete planning practices. Its utility as a normative guideline for spatial planning, however, is limited.