Land regimes, planning systems and urban dynamics in the European countries

The contribution, in a collection of papers elaborated within a Cost action on land management regimes and urban development policies in the European countries, provides, first of all, basic concepts concerning property rights and land regimes in order to frame planning systems and practices. This is followed by a short description of the different institutional frameworks. Then a succinct review is conducted of territorial governance and urban policies in the enlarged European Union, shedding some light on the variety of institutional contexts that embed land-use systems across Europe. The issue of urban dynamics in Europe is highlighted next. The final section discusses the processes stemming from different institutional arrangements and the resulting pace of urban dynamics which shape the physical and social tissue of urban regions in Europe, as well as their spatial effects.