An article examined the political barriers surrounding climate policy for passenger transportation. It said that significant mitigation policies for transport were held back in the European Union because of a range of interlinked issues ('transport taboos') that created a degree of political risk.
Source: Stefan Gossling and Scott Cohen, 'Why sustainable transport policies will fail: EU climate policy in the light of transport taboos', Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 39
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Sep
An article examined the sustainability of urban housing in the European Union, outlining key criteria on which this was assessed (including mixed-use developments, higher residential densities, high-quality dwellings and neighbourhoods, affordability, and food production). It said there were significant variations between countries in the sustainability of urban housing and communities, with relative success in urban areas in Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland and significant problems in others that would detract from the quality of life of residents and the sustainability of their cities.
Source: Nessa Winston, 'Sustainable communities? A comparative perspective on urban housing in the European Union', European Planning Studies, Volume 22 Issue 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined the role of the European Union in major infrastructure policies in the fields of transport and energy. It discussed major proposals for cross-European transport, and regional schemas for energy, noting the significance for spatial planners, the impact on future infrastructure networks, and the impact on the rescaling and re-ordering of government and decision-making. It made suggestions for national and regional governments, and for the creation of spatial planning analytical capability at the European Union level.
Source: Tim Marshall, 'The European Union and major infrastructure policies: the reforms of the trans-European networks programmes and the implications for spatial planning', European Planning Studies, Volume 22 Issue 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined the impact of the European Union on homelessness policy-making, the key mechanisms through which homelessness emerged onto the EU agenda, and the first signs of EU impact on homelessness policy dynamics. It said that there was an interconnection between local actions, national measures, and the European Union policy arena, such that the EU could now support member states to address homelessness.
Source: Liz Gosme, 'Key steps towards a European Union homelessness policy', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 24 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
A new book examined social housing policy and practice in Europe, including analysis of how the social housing system worked in each country, European trends in the sector, and opportunities for innovation and improvement. Chapters covered a range of individual countries (including England) and also explored social housing in the context of urban regeneration, privatization, financing models, and the impact of European Union state aid regulations.
Source: Kathleen Scanlon, Christine Whitehead, and Melissa Fernandez Arrigoitia (eds), Social Housing in Europe, Wiley-Blackwell
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
An article examined the relationship between neoliberalism and strategic spatial planning in European countries, arguing that there was a need to strengthen its critical dimension.
Source: Kristian Olesen, 'The neoliberalisation of strategic spatial planning', Planning Theory, Volume 13 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
The European Commission published its strategy for energy security, proposing actions that included: increasing energy efficiency and reaching the proposed 2030 energy and climate goals; increasing energy production and diversifying supplier countries and routes; completing the internal energy market and building missing infrastructure links; and strengthening emergency and solidarity mechanisms and protecting critical infrastructure.
Source: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: European Energy Security Strategy, European Commission
Links: Strategy | Associated data | European Commission press release
Date: 2014-May
An article examined the relationship between the European Union's ethical values and its spatial planning policy.
Source: Barrie Needham and Gerard Hoekveld, 'The European Union as an ethical community and what this means for spatial planning', European Planning Studies, Volume 22 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-May
An article examined residential moves by people age over 50 in European countries. Four types of moves were observed: renting to owning, owning to renting, and, for home-owners, trading up or trading down. In the younger group (aged 50-64), trading up and purchase decisions prevailed; in the older group (65+), trading down and selling were more common. Overall, moves were rare, particularly in countries characterized by high transaction costs. Most moves were driven by changes in household composition (divorce, widowhood, 'nest-leaving' by children). But economic factors played a role: low-income households who were house-rich and cash-poor were more likely to sell their home late in life.
Source: Viola Angelini, Agar Brugiavini, and Guglielmo Weber, 'The dynamics of homeownership among the 50+ in Europe', Journal of Population Economics, Volume 27 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
The government published further reports from its ongoing review of the European Union's competences, and how they affected the United Kingdom, which the Foreign Secretary had launched in July 2012.
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Single Market – Free movement of goods, HM Revenue & Customs
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Asylum and non-EU migration, Home Office
Links: Report | Evidence | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Trade and investment, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Environment and climate change, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Transport, Department for Transport
Links: Report | Evidence | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Research and development, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Supplementary paper | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Culture, tourism and sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Links: Report | Supplementary paper | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Civil judicial cooperation, Ministry of Justice
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined how user satisfaction correlated with alternative organizational models of local public transport provision in 33 European cities. The highest levels of satisfaction correlated with the presence of a single provider, as opposed to an industry structure in which multiple providers operated in the same market area.
Source: Carlo Fiorio, Massimo Florio, and Giovanni Perucca, 'User satisfaction and the organization of local public transport: evidence from European cities', Transport Policy, Volume 29
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined whether homelessness policy was being 'Europeanized', looking at processes on three levels: top-down influencing of national and sub-national processes; bottom-up dynamics influencing European Union policy; and cross-national horizontal developments. It said that, while there was increasing interaction between local, national and European Union level governance on homelessness, there was little in the way of substantive policy co-ordination and benchmarking.
Source: Liz Gosme, 'The Europeanisation of homelessness policy: myth or reality?', European Journal of Homelessness, Volume 7 Number 2
Links: Article
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the discussion by member states over whether the European Union should increase its emissions reduction target for 2020. The economic crisis had deepened the division between those who saw climate change policy as detrimental to growth and those seeing it as beneficial to growth.
Source: Jakob Skovgaard, 'EU climate policy after the crisis', Environmental Politics, Volume 23 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the relationship between income inequality and access to housing for low-income home-owners and renters 'at market rent' across Europe. Higher income inequality increased the likelihood of affordability problems for low-income renters. There was a positive relation between inequality and crowding. Higher income inequality was associated with lower housing quality.
Source: Caroline Dewilde and Bram Lancee, 'Income inequality and access to housing in Europe', European Sociological Review, Volume 29 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb