The development process between spatial planning and spatial development is characterized by a high degree of complexity. A multitude of actors are involved in the process with different interests. In spatial planning documents objectives are defined by public institutions designed to influence spatial development. During the process actual events occur that could affect the formulated objectives. The main objective of this study is to investigate and visualize this process. In theory is pronounced that there is a gap or mismatch between spatial plans and actual developments. This gap is seen as a constant given in the theory of planning. This phenomenon is reinforced by top-down spatial planning that formulate objectives which are prepared by municipal institutions. While practice shows that bottom-up spatial plans are influenced by private parties in day to day business. The need, as sought in this study, for empirical studies on policy and decision-making processes is known in the scientific domain. Many publications of scientists in the field of spatial policy and decision-making processes, general management concepts are defined which are not focused on a specific empirical field. This study focuses on the factors that determine the difficult relationship between the spatial planning process (plans) and the urban area development process (reality). The case study in this research is the urban area development of Rotterdam Central Station, with particularly the development of the public space of Kruisplein and the Kruisplein parking garage. The empirical research shows that planning objectives in practice often are not realised in reality. On the one hand that has to do with the fact that the development process actually turns out to be nonlinear. On the other hand, targets are often not based on rational assumptions due to the nonlinear nature of procedures regarding the development and because many actors with diverse interests are involved. So there is a mismatch in the relationship between plans and reality. Presentatie/presentation: http://prezi.com/agzix6zlit8o/p5-presentatie-110621/