This book focuses on the urban and regional planning systems in Europe under conditions of economic crisis and austerity. Spatial Planning as Institutional Design examines the structure and legislation of these systems throughout the twentieth century as well as the decade before the 2008 economic and fiscal crisis and the years of recovery following it. Louis C. Wassenhoven provides critical analysis of spatial planning systems within Europe and reviews the theories of these institutions and their design. Using his personal experience as a member of a law-making committee in Greece, Wassenhoven illustrates the idea that spatial planning is an important component of a modern democratic state. Defining legal frameworks as an act of institutional design, the book further explores insightful findings through extensive country studies and the lessons to be learnt in the future. This engaging read is of particular significance to scholars of spatial planning, social science and planning law. Researchers and policy makers interested in territorial development and land use will also find the analysis informative.