Recent years have shown that we live in a rapidly changing world with many uncertainties. The green, digital and demographic transitions ahead of us, along with multiple mega-trends suggest we will experience more changes and disruptive events in the years to come. What does this imply for the Territorial Agenda 2030?
After a process stretching over several years, Territorial Agenda 2030 was finalised in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy context and development challenges have changed since then. This includes increased financial constraints, seemingly continuous crises and new transition challenges, especially concerning energy and security. Most of these changes could increase inequalities between people and places in Europe. This makes the Territorial Agenda objective more relevant than ever: a future for all places in a green and just Europe.
This think piece brings together trends which are expected to affect territorial cohesion in the coming years (see section 2). It is based on blog posts which review studies for the European Parliament (2022), the European Committee of the Regions (2021) and ESPON (2022). These studies analyse international trend studies and processes, collecting insights from diverse stakeholders. Taken together, the collection provides a rich picture of possibilities which may shape territorial development and cohesion in Europe.
Click here to read the report.