Open space, politics, planning, coincidence. Towards a better understanding of active regional open space policy using the Multiple Streams Framework

• Applicant: Dr. Gerd Lintz
• Subject Area: Urbanism, Spatial Planning, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, Landscape Planning
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 510805028

In view of the continuing consumption of land in Germany and many other countries, regional and long-term initiatives to protect and develop open spaces are of great importance, especially in metropolitan areas. There are some positive examples of such initiatives, but the question of how and why open space protection and development could prevail against often strong opposition is still insufficiently studied. In particular, the political dimension of the decision-making process remains strongly underrepresented compared to the planning dimension. Although the term open space policy was coined, its meaning and implications still are superficial. Therefore, the aim of this project is to conduct a qualitative case study on regional open space policy using the multiple streams framework (MSF) for the first time. This broad approach goes back to Kingdon (1984) and is well established in political science. As cases to be investigated in the sense of causal-process tracing the Emscher Landscape Park, the RhineMain Regional Park and the Leipzig Green Belt were chosen. The study focuses on the question of if and how outstanding spatial planning and related budgetary decisions of a long-term active regional open space policy can be explained from the integrating perspective of the MSF. This approach postulates that there are three distinct streams, endowed with their own momentum. They must converge in a policy window for significant policy change to occur. The Problem Stream is about real developments that are interpreted as problems. The Policy Stream consists of offered solutions to problems and is especially associated with experts and planners. The Politics Stream reflects the struggle for majorities, the influence of interest groups and discontinuities among actors. The study primarily advances understanding of active regional open space policy and planning and at the same time provides a basis for further spatial science research with the MSF. Furthermore, starting points for the improvement of open space protection and development are derived and the relevance of the results for environmental and spatial planning in general as well as for spatial sustainability transformation is assessed. Finally, the study formulates questions for further research.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants