Regional Designing and Visioning in Planning Rescaling: An Interactive Governance Perspective

This contribution investigates governance rescaling processes using interactive governance as the conceptual framework. It identifies interactions between statutory planning processes and the formation of the soft planning spaces of governance across local boundaries. In particular, focusing on images and visions as elements of interactive governance, the interrelation between governance and planning is investigated. Scalar shift sheds light on the reciprocal influences among statutory and soft planning spaces by providing for new spatial imaginaries, making the boundaries of new regional contexts visible and shaping their futures. In this framework, the author argues that visioning practices matter both for shaping regional boundaries and conceiving shared visions of their spatial development.