GUEST LECTURE: Dr Marcin Dabrowski is an Assistant Professor in Spatial Planning and Strategy at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). His research focuses on EU Cohesion Policy and its territorial instruments, multi-level governance, policy mobility, and spatial planning in the context of sustainability transitions. He has extensive experience in teaching and research on European territorial governance, including ESPON research projects on Europeanisation of spatial planning and territorial instruments (ESPON COMPASS, ESPON SENPO) and evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy’s territorial delivery mechanisms for the European Commission. and has published widely on the territorial dimensions of EU policies and their impact on regional and urban development As Europe confronts deepening territorial inequalities, socio-political tensions, climate transition pressures, and geopolitical instability, understanding how the European Union affects the development trajectories of regions and cities has never been more urgent. This invited course provides a critical understanding of the European Union as a multi-level governance system, the EU Cohesion Policy, and its territorial implications. Attention is devoted to EU Cohesion Policy as a key policy and funding framework shaping regional and urban development across Europe and increasingly influencing territorial governance and spatial planning within the EU Member States and Candidate Countries. Building on insights from policy and planning literatures and leading policy practice, as well as valorising the findings and policy-lessons from a range of recent international research projects on the interface between EU policy arenas and territorial development, the course explores the rationale, evolution and implementation mechanisms of Cohesion Policy and its implications for the governance of regions and cities. It focuses on place-based instruments such as Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) and Community-led Local Development (CLLD), implemented within metropolitan areas, polycentric regions, or specific urban areas. Moreover, the module explores the Just Green Transition as part of the EU Green Deal, aiming to territorialise EU initiatives through dedicated funding schemes (i.e Just Transition Mechanisms, Just Transition Fund and Plans). Through these series of lectures, hands-on workshops and discussions based on real-world case studies, participants will critically assess how EU policy instruments influence planning practices, governance arrangements across levels and across administrative boundaries (vertical and horizontal governance dimensions), and spatial development strategies at regional and local levels, and engagement of public, private and civic stakeholders in the shaping of territorial strategies. The course is designed for PhD candidates interested in European governance, regional and urban development, policy analysis, and spatial planning, especially within multi-level settings and functionally delimited areas that cut across municipal borders (e.g., within Functional Urban Areas or areas sharing specific geographical or economic features). It combines theoretical foundations with empirical examples and critical, policy-oriented debates. The course equips participants with theoretical, methodological, and practical insights that support advanced research in these fields and prepares them to engage effectively in policy discussions aimed at strengthening synergies between EU Cohesion Policy instruments and domestic spatial planning and territorial policy tools.

•Basic knowledge of European institutions and public policy. •Familiarity with concepts of governance and territorial development is welcome. •Interest in expanding one’s knowledge of regional and urban development.

The course will be delivered in an intensive one-week format, totalling 12 hours - 8 hours will be taught by Dr Dabrowski, 2 by Dr Berisha and 2 dedicated to students' presentations. The intensive structure is designed to foster continuity in learning, critical discussion, and interaction among PhD candidates. Lecture 1 (Dabrowski) – EU Multilevel Governance and Cohesion Policy: Rationale and Evolution (2 hours) This lecture introduces the European Union as a complex system of multi-level governance, examining its institutional architecture, the distribution of competences across levels, and the decision-making processes that shape EU policies. Moreover, it examines the origins, objectives and reforms of EU Cohesion Policy as the Union’s main investment framework for reducing regional disparities and, increasingly, for nudging cities towards more sustainable urban development. It discusses the evolution of programming periods, the shift toward a place-based approach, and the increasing emphasis on strategic planning and performance. The relationship between Cohesion Policy and national spatial planning systems is critically assessed through selected examples, pointing to areas of tension and cross-fertilisation. Lecture 2 - (Dabrowski) The Place-Based Approach: Theory, Policy, and Regional Development (2 hours) This two-hour course explores the concept of the place-based approach, drawing primarily on the Barca Report (2009) and subsequent developments in regional policy and economic geography. The session examines why development strategies should be tailored to the specific characteristics, needs, and institutional contexts of places rather than applying spatially blind policies. Participants will discuss core principles such as multi-level governance, local knowledge, institutional capacity, and integrated interventions, and will critically reflect on how place-based policies address regional disparities and promote inclusive, sustainable growth. Lecture 3 (Dabrowski) – Territorialising EU Cohesion: Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Community-led Local Development (CLLD) (2 hours) This session focuses on Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Community-led Local Development (CLLD) as tools designed to promote integrated, place-based development strategies within functionally delimited areas, groupings of municipalities or specific areas within towns and cities. The lecture explains the legal framework, governance arrangements and implementation mechanisms of these tools, highlighting their potential to coordinate funding streams and policy sectors, address place-specific development challenges through an integrated approach, and stimulate capacity-building and cooperation between territorial stakeholders. Empirical examples from across Europe are used to discuss opportunities and challenges related to institutional capacity, partnership development, multi-level and cross-boundary coordination, and synergies with domestic planning and territorial policy instruments. Lecture 4 (Berisha and Dabrowski) - Just Green Transition: Policies, Mechanisms, and Territorial Implications (2 hours) This lecture examines the concept of Just Green Transition, with particular attention to the EU Just Transition Mechanism and related Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs). The session explores how climate neutrality goals intersect with social justice, regional cohesion, and economic restructuring. Participants will benefit from a comparative perspective of TJTPs, governance arrangements, and funding mechanisms designed to support vulnerable regions and communities in the shift away from carbon-intensive activities, and will critically assess policy trade-offs, distributional impacts, and the territorial dimension of a fair and inclusive green transition. Lecture 5 (Dabrowski and Berisha) – The Future of Cohesion Policy (2 hours) The final session, jointly delivered by Dabrowski and Berisha, will focus on the future of EU Cohesion Policy in the post-2027 programming period. The lecture will examine ongoing debates on policy reform in the context of major transformations and tensions affecting the European Union. These include the territorially uneven impacts of the current geopolitical crisis, the housing crisis, and the climate emergency, as well as broader sustainability transitions. Attention will be paid to the complex governance challenges these developments generate and to the growing political discontent they have fueled, especially in less developed regions and areas within them. Lecture 6 – Students' work presentation In this session, students present their research projects and receive structured feedback from peers and the instructor. Presentations aim to discuss, through case studies, specific ITIs, CLLDs, or TJTPs that have been analysed by students. PhD candidates will prepare a short presentation (or project work) analysing a case of ITI or CLLD implementation in a selected EU Member State, with a focus on a specific regional or urban case study area and exploring challenges and opportunities for stimulating a place-based approach to regional or urban development, to be presented orally at the end of the course. Suggested sources Berisha, E. (2025). From “Europe of Regions” to “Europe of Nations”? The Changing Paradigm of the Post-2027 Cohesion Policy Framework. European Journal of Spatial Development, 22(4), 98–110. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17662394 Cotella, G. (2019). The Urban Dimension of EU Cohesion Policy. In: Medeiros, E. (eds) Territorial Cohesion. The Urban Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03386-6_7 Dabrowski, M. (2013). EU cohesion policy, horizontal partnership and the patterns of sub-national governance: Insights from Central and Eastern Europe. European Urban and Regional Studies, 21(4), 364-383. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776413481983 (Original work published 2014) ESPON (2025). Territorial Instruments of National Policies as a Tool for Territorially Sensitive Policies. Final Report. December 2025. Luxembourg: ESPON EGTC. https://www.espon.eu/sites/default/files/2026-01/senpo_final_report.pdf European Commission (2025). Ex post evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund. WORK PACKAGE 13 TERRITORIAL INSTRUMENTS FINAL REPORT. Ex-post-evaluation-territorial-instruments.pdf

On site

Oral presentation

P.D.2-2 - October