MSP Research Network

In Europe, MSP has developed into a strategic spatial planning exercise that not only addresses spatial conflicts, but increasingly also deals with societal and possibly cultural consequences of marine developments and marine planning per se.

In MSP research and practice, gaps are still apparent with respect to social and cultural values and their role in MSP. These relate but are not exclusive to:

• the range of immaterial values associated with the sea, including traditional practices, perceptions, and different ways of engaging with and relating to the sea,
• the wider socio-cultural environment and its relationship to MSP, for example how social impacts and interactions affect MSP and how MSP might deal with conflicting social values,
• how different perceptions and representations of the sea and sea space affect MSP and its ability to provide integrated spatial governance.

This group is intended as a platform for bringing together a diverse body of knowledge from various fields. Its aim is to expand notions of "culture" and "socio-cultural" in MSP both at a conceptual level and from a practical perspective, based on knowledge and experiences from different countries, regions and cultures. How exactly is MSP related to socio-cultural values, and what are the opportunities and challenges for MSP in taking account of socio-cultural values and perceptions?