A sea of houses: Preserving open space in an urbanised country

Policies to preserve open space in the Netherlands have evolved over a long period of time. In the interwar period pressure groups were actively trying to put the issue of open space on the political agenda. Their pleas were only partly met. After the Second World War, and as part of the establishment of the welfare state, an intricate planning system emerged serving many goals, a key one being the preservation of open space and therefore the containment of urbanisation. The most well-known policy concept is that of the Green Heart, basically a green belt surrounded and intersected by urban belts. Initially, however, the planning system proved to be not very effective. The period from the end of the 1960s until the end of the 1990s was characterised by efforts to improve the effectiveness of the planning system, also in terms of preserving open space. Recent years have become critical in terms of policies towards green belts. Central government has taken the decision to fundamentally change its role in spatial planning, partly handing over the responsibility for policies preserving open space to lower levels of government. Recently the issue of preserving open space returned to the agenda. According to many what is happening is 'messing up the landscape'. What is called for is strong and effective guidance by central government. However, it is unlikely that a return of the restrictive policies of the 1980s and 1990s will be seen.