Building spatial resilience in the Baltic Sea region

The crises facing the world in recent years, including problems related to climate change, have brought many new challenges to the Baltic Sea region. This situation has made macro-regional spatial planning require more attention.

The new situation and the resulting problems and challenges are changing the focus of decision-making in the Baltic Sea region and highlighting the role and importance of resilience of spatial structures and communities. Hence, the current developments of PA Spatial Planning – a body operating within the framework of the European Union Strategy and established for the Baltic Sea region – are addressing the topic of spatial resilience from different points of view.

European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (SUERMB or EUSBSR) is the first EU macro-regional strategy, adopted by the European Commission and endorsed by the European Council in 2009. It aims to save the sea (Save the Sea), increase integration of the region (Connect the Region) and increase prosperity (Increase Prosperity).

SUERMB activities are implemented through 14 Policy Areas, one of which is PA Spatial Planning. These areas are:

• PA Bio-economy – OT Bioeconomy;
• PA Culture – OT Culture;
• PA Education – OT Education;
• PA Energy – OT Energy;
• PA Hazards OT – Hazardous Substances;
• PA Health – OT Health;
• PA Innovation – OT Innovation;
• PA Nutri – OT Biogenes;
• PA Safe – OT Safe Shipping;
• PA Secure – OT Civil Security;
• PA Ship – OT Clean Shipping;
• PA Spatial Planning – OT Spatial Planning;
• PA Tourism – OT Tourism;
• PA Transport – OT Transport.

The realization of the goals of PA Spatial Planning is achieved through:

• Action 1: Strengthen territorial cohesion in the Baltic Sea region through land-based spatial planning;
• Action 2: Ensure consistent land use plans throughout the Baltic Sea.

Design platforms initiated by PA Spatial Planning

Out of 23 project proposals submitted for INTERREG funding, 8 project platforms were selected, of which 3, namely Baltic PlaNet, SEABAS and BSR Urban Mobility, are relevant to PA Spatial Planning. PA Spatial Planning initiated and submitted 2 project platforms.

The platforms that received funding and were proposed by PA Spatial planning are:

• Strategic ecosystem planning for a sustainable future of the Baltic Sea (SEABAS project platform)

It aims to establish a regional framework for the Baltic Sea, enabling the integration of strategic environmental assessment with marine spatial planning, as well as synthesizing previous results to strengthen the sustainable management of human activities at sea, while promoting the marine economy and protecting biodiversity.

• Baltic PlaNet (Climate Resilient Planning Network)

It aims to protect both the natural and urban environment by enabling municipalities to take climate change into account in spatial planning. It is an initiative dedicated to increasing the resilience of communities living in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea.

Spatial planning and development of the Baltic Sea region

What priorities unite spatial planners at the macro-regional level? This question was attempted to be answered at meetings of the joint HELCOM-VASAB Marine Spatial Planning Working Group acting as the PA Marine Spatial Planning Steering Group on marine spatial planning issues.

The body discussed issues at its April meeting:

• Spatial resilience – climate change mitigation;
• the process of revising the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach in Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic Sea Area, which are an important component of the regional framework for maritime spatial planning.

The revision of the guidelines based on the experience gained during the previous marine spatial planning cycle was an important contribution to achieving the overall goal of the Regional Marine Spatial Planning Roadmap 2021-2030, i.e. building a solid foundation for the adaptation process using an ecosystem-based approach. It is planned to approve the revised guidelines in the fall of 2025.

VASAB Committee on Spatial Planning and Development of the Baltic Sea Region

Visions and Strategies for the Baltic Sea (VASAB) is implemented as an intergovernmental cooperation on spatial planning and development of 11 countries in the region. It is thus a multilateral intergovernmental cooperation, led by the Conference of Ministers and conducted by the Baltic Sea Spatial Planning and Development Commission, which includes representatives of relevant ministries and regional authorities.

VASAB promotes urban planning that aims to achieve a sustainable balance between social, cultural, environmental and economic goals, including climate change adaptation.

VASAB marine spatial planning planners forum

The VASAB Planners Forum is a venue for informal collaboration between maritime spatial planning practitioners. Participants discuss key issues related to the topic, knowledge gaps and future design needs.

The Land-based Planners’ Forum project was launched in December 2024 with the aim of increasing the capacity of planners by fostering collaboration at all levels of governance. The Land-based Planners’ Forum platform aims to provide an informal and supportive space to share best practices and innovative solutions, enabling resilience building and promoting sustainable growth in both urban and rural areas.

This year’s March meeting of the Planners’ Forum discussed maritime defense, dealing with defense issues in the land use plan, and national and regional approaches to managing hybrid threats in the current situation in the Baltic Sea.