Tools and capacities for an effective integrated planning in coastal zones and maritime areas in the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea regions

The aim of the PlanCoast project was to provide best practice examples and tools for effective integrated planning in coastal zones and marine areas. The key objective was to show the strengths of spatial planning instruments in facilitating effective Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and maritime policy. The project analysed the role of spatial planning within ICZM, sea use planning in practice and ICZM in action as well as the role and potential of modern GIS and information exchange as necessary pre-condition for good marine spatial planning.

PlanCoast introduced the new instrument Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), it linked ICZM and MSP with the processes of statutory spatial planning in a selected number of pilot projects, spread the use of modern geographical information systems (GIS) for effective transnational planning, contributed to the creation and implementation of EU policy on coastal zones and maritime areas, such as the Green Book and Blue Book, and led to the creation of numerous national laws and strategies. For instance, it enabled the development of the first pilot maritime plan in Poland and the Baltic experience was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea Region.

Most importantly, PlanCoast led to the first MSP Handbook describing the Maritime Spatial Planning cycle.

Project partners

• Ministry of Labour, Building and Regional Development Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (DE) - Lead Partner
• Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (DE)
• Maritime Office, Gdynia (PL)
• Regional Spatial Planning Office, Pomorskie Voivodship (PL)
• Regional Development Centre, Koper (SI)
• Emilia-Romagna Region, DG Environment (IT)
• Ancona Municipality (IT)
• ECAT Tirana (AL)
• Neretva Cantonal Ministry of Physical Planning (BiH)
• District Administration Centre, Varna (BG)
• Black Sea NGO Network (BG)
• Regional Activity Centre, Split (HR)
• National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (RO)
• National Institute for Research and Development “Urbanproiect” (RO)
• Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management (former Serbia and Montenegro)
• Ukraine Scientific Center of Ecology of Sea (UA)

Sub-contractors

• s.Pro sustainable-projects GmbH