Definition – Integrated planning, also referred to as institutional cooperation, refers to collaboration
and joint working within and across organisations to develop and implement a plan. Such cooperation may involve the alignment of objectives and policies and the sharing of knowledge, data, resources, finance and powers between several organisations.
Different types of integration include:
- Vertical integration – this involves cooperation - and the alignment of relevant legislation, guidelines and supporting policies - between the different levels of government and other organisations operating at the European, national, regional and local levels.
- Horizontal integration – horizontal integration encompasses two types of cooperation:
- Policy/sectoral integration – Policy/sectoral integration concerns the management of cross-cutting issues in policy-making that do not correspond to the institutional responsibilities of individual departments. Consultation and cooperation to avoid “silo working” by departments and organisations in various policy areas (land use planning, social services, health, energy, education, enforcement and policing etc.) is important in the context of SUMP development.
- Territorial integration – Coordination of policies and activities between neighbouring local authority areas, ideally through the preparation of a single SUMP for the entire ‘functioning area’ of a city, as defined by major transport flows. Depending on government responsibilities at local, regional and national levels, it may be necessary to involve regional and national stakeholders (including transport network authorities).
- Policy
The word integration is also used in the context of integration of transport modes.
Relevance to SUMP – Horizontal and vertical integration are core components and a main characteristic of the SUMP approach. The development and implementation of a SUMP should follow an integrated approach with a high level of cooperation and consultation between the different levels of government and relevant authorities.
Source: CH4LLENGE, 2015; Meijers & Stead, 2004