Scoping the socio-economic performance of the EU proximity economy

Spatial Foresight, under the leadership of VVA and in partnership with LSE Cities, will investigate and contribute to the development of the proximity economy ecosystem in the EU. The study will advance the understanding of proximity economy by refining the concept of proximity economy and its relation to other economic models such as circular economy and collaborative economy. The research will also identify different policy and urban planning models to support proximity economy across the EU and will investigate specific examples of the proximity economy in selected case studies. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected for the selected case studies, in addition to the development of a spatial analysis to capture how the proximity economy functions in different urban settings (and beyond). In addition to specialised workshops and establishing a community of practice on the topic, the research will also develop a monitoring framework for the proximity economy and benchmark the performance of the identified ecosystems.

Client: EISMEA - European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

Duration: June 2023 - June 2024