ESPON has revamped its website navigation and layout to make it more user-friendly and easier to find information on territorial development in Europe. The new website features one-click navigation that provides easy access to 7 main themes reflecting user needs: programme, projects, how to apply, events, scientific tools, publications and press. A number of additional features are under development such as video clips.

The new website of ESPON also features a Map of the month, always including an analytical interpretation. The current map is about Economic Performance of European Regions, offering focus on the regional diversity in Europe in the light of a combined indicator with a clear economic focus related to the Lisbon/Europe 2020 Strategy.

Previous maps have included i.e. Less Accessible Regions, Accessibility and Economy, Accessibility by Air, Population Trends, Energy, Migration, World Trade and World Evolutions. All these maps are available on the new website.

The launch of the ESPON 2013 and the announcement of the first series of calls for proposals and expressions of interest took place in January 2009 in Brussels. The aim of the observation network of European Spatial Planning (ESPON) is to provide information, evidence, comparative analysis and scenarios about the best conditions to encourage the development of regions, cities and larger territories of the EU.

The program involves the 27 EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The ESPON Programme (Observation Network of the European Spatial Planning) budget 2007-2013 is EUR 45.4 million euros, of which 75 percent are financed by the European Regional Development Fund.