Author Description

COST is a framework for scientific and technical co-operation, allowing the co-ordination of national research on a European level. The goal of European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research, COST, is to ensure that Europe holds a strong position in the field of scientific and technical research for peaceful purposes, by increasing European co-operation and interaction in this field. COST Actions consist of basic and precompetitive research as well as activities of public utility. COST action 332 concerns transport projects and land use policies. This report contains the proceedings of the inaugural COST Action 332 colloquium held in Barcelona on 24th and 25th October 1996. The objective of the meeting was to put together a common body of theoretical and empirical references likely to facilitate the groups work on 'institutional means of co-ordination between transport projects and regional planning' in order to improve the basis for future work. The contents are in three sections. The first looks at what is at stake and the difficulties of co-ordinating public action. The second consists of an inventory of country situations, focusing on the mechanisms for co-ordination between transport and planning. The last section presents case studies on which future COST Action 332 work will be based.