  spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use, urban, regional, transport and environmental planning. other related areas are also important, including economic and community planning. spatial planning takes place on local, regional, national and inter-national levels and often result in the creation of a spatial plan. there are numerous definitions of spatial planning. one of the earliest definitions comes from the european regional/spatial planning charter (often called the 'torremolinos charter'), adopted in 1983 by the european conference of ministers responsible for regional planning (cemat): "regional/spatial planning gives geographical expression to the economic, social, cultural and ecological policies of society. it is at the same time a scientific discipline, an administrative technique and a policy developed as an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach directed towards a balanced regional development and the physical organisation of space according to an overall strategy." numerous planning systems exist around the world. especially in northwestern europe spatial planning has evolved greatly since the late 1950s. ==spatial planning systems in europe== various compendia of spatial planning systems can be found. below is a table showing some of the main sources, the countries covered and the date of publication.. {| class="wikitable" |- ! ! common mindscapes â commin ! cost action on green structures and urban planning â cost c11 ! european spatial planning observation network project on governance â espon 2.3.2 ! european commission, dg-regio â eu compendium ! european conference of ministers responsible for regional/spatial planning â cemat ! european space and territorial integration alternative â estia ! isocarp - international society of city and regional planners â isocarp ! japanese ministry of land, infrastructure and transport â [
Urban_studies_and_planning