SPECIAL – Spatial Planning and Energy for Communities in all Landscapes

The key objective of the SPECIAL project is to build the capacity of national Planning Associations across Europe in order to improve the competencies of local authority spatial planners, to implement effective sustainable energy policies and measures in regional and local plans.

The project partners will not only build their own competencies in spatial planning and sustainable energy solutions, but will be developing a portfolio of information, training materials, good practice examples etc, to be piloted through identified multipliers in each partner country or region thereby creating a legacy from the project. In addition, in association with the European Council of Spatial Planners ECTP), the TCPA will develop and produce a pan-European guide on Spatial Planning for Sustainable Energy for distribution across Europe and introduce a Spatial Planning and Energy Awards category into the European Urban and Regional Planning Awards.

At the heart of the project is the development of skills and knowledge for planners to be able to better deliver sustainable energy solutions in new and existing settlements. We will learn from Sweden and Germany through training weeks and site visits, and the TCPA will also host a training week for all partners. The project will run for three years from March 2013 – February 2016.

EPC supports and consults the German Institute of Urban Affairs concerning the design and implementation of the training programmes, the moderation and facilitation of trainings and events as well as selected project management issues.

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