Policies for places: territorial impact assessment in action

Territorial Impact Assessment (TIA) helps understand how policies affect different places and how these impacts can inform better decisions. The session brought together political, methodological and practical perspectives on applying TIA across different governance levels, from EU policymaking to national, regional and local decisions.

Pehr Granfalk, member of Solna Municipal Council and the European Committee of the Regions, highlighted the political importance of territorial impact assessments, stressing that policy decisions do not affect all territories equally, even within the same city. The proposed European Competitiveness Fund provided an example of how regions with established innovation ecosystems may be better positioned to attract investment, potentially reinforcing existing disparities. TIA can help identify these risks and translate political concerns into concrete recommendations, providing evidence to support better-informed policy decisions. Its effectiveness depends on being applied early enough to influence decisions, with regional and local authorities involved from the outset. Greater awareness and more systematic use of TIA, including among local politicians, would also help ensure that territorial evidence informs decisions at different governance levels, contributing to a fairer distribution of resources and a more bottom-up approach to European policymaking.

Developing a methodology that works across territorial scales is the focus of ESPON's ongoing upgrade of its TIA approach. It combines data, mapping and stakeholder judgement to assess where policy impacts may be strongest and how they may spread to neighbouring territories. The process starts by checking whether a TIA is necessary, followed by defining its scope and assessing impacts. Five case studies are testing the methodology in national, regional and cross-border contexts, with completion expected in June 2027. A central challenge is ensuring sufficient analytical detail while keeping the approach manageable for administrations with different levels of data, expertise and resources.

The Dutch experience showed why territorial impacts need to be considered across policy sectors, rather than separately. In a country where space is limited, decisions on housing, infrastructure, energy, nature and economic development often compete for the same land. To address this, the Netherlands uses three complementary approaches. New European Commission proposals are assessed by the relevant ministries within six weeks, allowing potential spatial consequences to be identified early. The Policy Compass requires policymakers to examine the implications of different options when developing national policies, including their territorial impacts. Finally, the National Spatial Vision brings ministries together to coordinate their sectoral plans and reconcile competing demands for space. The aim is to avoid passing conflicting requirements down to regions and municipalities and instead provide a more coherent framework for local implementation.

At urban level, TIA offers opportunities to understand impacts that broader territorial assessments may overlook, including differences between neighbourhoods and effects extending beyond municipal boundaries. An EUI study examined ten existing methodologies and identified two particularly suitable for adaptation to cities: EATIA, which relies on qualitative assessment and stakeholder participation, and SPA(TIA), which combines participatory methods with quantitative analysis of territorial impacts and spillovers. Examples of TIA exercises from Ljubljana and a German–Polish railway corridor illustrated how these approaches can inform policy decisions and infrastructure project implementation. However, cities face practical obstacles, including gaps in detailed local data, limited staff and expertise, and difficulties bringing together departments and stakeholders with different priorities. The study underlined that TIA does not require a single urban methodology, but participatory approaches that can be adapted to local needs and bring together knowledge from different sectors and territories.

Turning TIA into a practical tool for cities is the objective of EUI's planned 2027–2028 capacity-building programme. Combining training, expert support and peer exchange, it will allow cities to learn about TIA, contribute their experience or apply the methodology to their own policies. Lessons from participating cities will feed into practical guidance to support wider use of TIA at urban level.