The concept of strategic spatial planning has come to represent a particular concern to broaden the scope and enhance the governance capacity of spatial policy and practice in a European context. It is increasingly evident, however, that the concept represents a diversity of multifaceted and fragmented practices, confounding assumed narratives of Europeanization and policy convergence. This article seeks to move towards a context-sensitive, inductive understanding of spatial planning in a territorially diverse Europe. Emphasis is placed on the need for critical comparative studies to assess the capacity of spatial strategies in practice to respond to diverse territorial development challenges.