Public services in spatial plans: Key problems and dillemas

Abstract

As an integral part of spatial plans at all territorial levels, public services represent a segment of the broader field that encompasses both the population and the settlement network of a given area. The diversity of approaches to the treatment of the "public services" segment in practice, even within spatial plans at the same territorial levels, reflects the lack of a basic consensus on how this issue should be addressed. Methodologically based on a comparative analysis of spatial plans at the national, regional, and local levels, the subject of the paper is defined as the way this segment is handled in spatial plans across different territorial levels. This includes the chronological evolution of recognizing the significance of this segment, the methodological and substantive uniformity of its treatment at various planning levels, as well as the representation of its sub-segments and similar concepts. The goal of the paper is to identify and summarize key issues and ambiguities, serving as a starting point for directing further efforts toward improving the quality and relevance of spatial planning practice in this segment.

Keywords

• spatial plans
• public services
• comparative analysis
• methodological uniformity
• spatial planning practice