The Research On The Western European Strategic Spatial Planning (SSP) In The 1990s

Departing from the case study and the mechanical analysis of the strategic spatial planning (SSP), the paradigmatic characteristics of the Western European SSP in the 1990s is systematically constructed in this paper.The research is unfolded firstly with a series of appraisals and comparisons of five representative SSP cases chosen from the Western European SSP revival in the 1990s. Then according to the exploration to the respective theoretical evolutions in the Spatial Planning itself and several relative disciplines such as the Public Administration and the Economic Management as well over the last half century, which caused by various economical, social, political and ideal context dynamics, the main mechanism led to the formation or the shift of paradigmatic characteristics of the Western European SSP in the 1990s is searched and summarized. On the base of these works and within a new three-dimensional analytical framework, the paradigmatic characteristics of the SSP in the 1990s are carefully identified, integrated and criticized in terms of the differentiations with those of the SSP in the 1960s and the traditional synoptic planning. Finally, a list of proposals is offered for the Chinese SSP practices at present.It is concluded that as a kind of spatial governance, the Western European SSP inthe 1990s manifests a complicated characteristics of "hybrid planning". It is throughboth the explicitly oriented and more inclusive and balanced goals on one hand and the more diversified and pragmatic means to realize them on the other hand that the SSP in the 1990s has played a key role in facilitating the spatial planning to respond more legitimately and effectively to the various crisis and challenges emerging from the dynamic structure of "nation - market - civil society", so that the long-range public interest in a modern democratic society can be counted, the sustainable global competitiveness of a territory can be established and maintained and the quality of environment and people's daily life can be improved .