Some Practical Elements Associated with the Design of an Integrated and Territorial Place-Based Approach to EU Cohesion Policy

This chapter discusses various important elements in the design of place based approach regional development strategies in the case of a reformed Cohesion Policy operating in the context of the Europe 2020 agenda. In particular, we focus on practical ways in which an integrated place-based approach to territorial and social cohesion can be exploited to tailor policy-design to the specific needs and potential of an EU region, in a manner which is consistent with the smart growth, sustainable growth and inclusive growth goals of Europe 2020. The chapter focuses specifically on a set of prerequisites which must be addressed in order to ensure that a place-based approach can be developed within the EU context. These prerequisites are a necessary condition for the correct ex ante design of the strategy; without an explicit consideration of these prerequisites it is very difficult to ensure that sectorally-structured institutions will adopt an integrated approach involving the mobilization of all actors and the extraction of local knowledge. The prerequisites discussed here are not sufficient to ensure the development of an integrated place-based approach, but they are a fundamental and necessary first step in the ex-ante design of a place-based strategy. The issues to be stressed are: firstly, a clear identification of the combined place-specific characteristics of each region and secondly, a clear identification of the territorial context. Finally, some regional cases which have recently successfully developed integrated place-based policy frameworks building on a smart specialisation way of thinking are also presented.