Increasing societal discomfort about a dominant restrictive planning discourse on open space in Flanders/Belgium

The specific spatial context in the densely urbanised northern part of Belgium, Flanders, offers a sort of laboratory conditions to study, design and plan fragments of open space in an urbanising context. A chronological analysis of documents in three periods relevant to Flemish spatial planning policy allows to conclude that one single planning discourse has reigned spatial planning in Flanders already since the design of the first zoning plans 45 years ago. This planning discourse considers city and countryside as two separate and separated entities. Today however, the validity of this dominant discourse is increasingly under pressure. An obvious societal need appears to be growing to turn around the perception of a possible contradiction between city and countryside. In a densely urbanised spatial context, alternative planning discourses should be based on the idea of open spaces that offer complementary services within a partnership between city and countryside

The recurrence of health in urban planning: towards an integration of environmental health aspects

While urban planning and health were initially interlinked, in the twentieth century planning practice slowly moved away from its public health origins. In recent years however there is a growing interest in the health effects of our spatial organization. Although the direct impact of the physical environment on health has decreased – due to better standards of living, sanitary developments, improved housing – environmental quality still deserves our attention. First, the focus has shifted from life expectancy to health expectancy and quality of life. Public health impact no longer predominantly involves clear mortality risks, but rather comprises aspects of human well-being in a broad sense. Several direct impacts, like noise or air pollution, do not immediately kill people, but cause physical or mental disorders on the long term or severely reduce the quality of life of people. Second, the physical environment has many indirect effects on lifestyle and health, for example a reduced physical activity caused by a lack of walkable neighborhoods. A final important reason to justify this research is the aspect of environmental justice. The spatial characteristics responsible for direct and indirect health effects are spatially heterogeneously distributed, causing important differences in health status and healthy life expectancy between various residential neighborhoods. Today a lot of research exists on different health impacts caused by aspects of the physical environment. Most of this research focuses on one single impact (e.g. noise) or one spatial aspect (e.g. a road). An integrated approach, in which all the impacts and aspects are combined, seems to be lacking. However, there is a giant need for a better understanding of this issue, to inform community leaders and spatial planners about which community design and land-use choices are most effective in improving the physical, mental and social well-being of people. In this paper an attempt is made to give an overview of the main environmental characteristics with an effect on people’s health and well-being. The aim is to evaluate the evidence of the existing research output and to explore the relevance for spatial planning. Finally the results are discussed and recommendations for urban planning policy are formulated. Here the aspect of environmental justice comes into view, the right on a healthy living environment for every citizen regardless of social and economic status

Colouring inside what lines?: interference of the urban growth boundary and the political-administrative border of Brussels

This paper discusses the relationship between the political-administrative border and the urban growth boundary around Brussels, the Belgian capital. Our hypothesis is that the interests of the various regions and language groups in Belgium interfere strongly with urban planning policies, implying that the administrative border of the Brussels-Capital Region operates in reality as an unintended urban growth boundary. Based on demographics, commuter data and property market features, we argue that this situation may cause excessive urban compaction of the Brussels-Capital Region, while spillover effects to municipalities that are rather distant from Brussels may result in undesired forms of suburbanization and long distance commuting

The countryside in urbanized Flanders: towards a flexible definition for a dynamic policy

The countryside, the rural area, the open space, … many definitions are used for rural Flanders. Everyone makes its own interpretation of the countryside, considering it as a place for living, working or recreating. The countryside is more than just a geographical area: it is an aggregate of physical, social, economic and cultural functions, strongly interrelated with each other. According to international and European definitions of rural areas there would be almost no rural area in Flanders. These international definitions are all developed to be used for analysis and policy within their specific context. They are not really applicable to Flanders because of the historical specificity of its spatial structure. Flanders is characterized by a giant urbanization pressure on its countryside while internationally rural depopulation is a point of interest. To date, for every single rural policy initiative – like the implementation of the European Rural Development Policy – Flanders used a specifically adapted definition, based on existing data or previously made delineations. To overcome this oversupply of definitions and delineations, the Flemish government funded a research project to obtain a clear and flexible definition of the Flemish countryside and a dynamic method to support Flemish rural policy aims. First, an analysis of the currently used definitions of the countryside in Flanders was made. It is clear that, depending on the perspective or the policy context, another definition of the countryside comes into view. The comparative study showed that, according to the used criteria, the area percentage of Flanders that is rural, varies between 9 and 93 per cent. Second, dynamic sets of criteria were developed, facilitating a flexible definition of the countryside, according to the policy aims concerned. This research part was focused on 6 policy themes, like ‘construction, maintenance and management of local (transport) infrastructures’ and ‘provision of (minimum) services (education, culture, health care, …)’. For each theme a dynamic set of criteria or indicators was constructed. These indicators make it possible to show where a policy theme manifests itself and/or where policy interventions are possible or needed. In this way every set of criteria makes up a new definition of rural Flanders. This method is dynamic; new data or insights can easily be incorporated and new criteria sets can be developed if other policy aims come into view. The developed method can contribute to a more region-oriented and theme-specific rural policy and funding mechanism

Assessment of governance strategies for climate adaptation in Flanders / Belgium

Climate discourse in recent decades has mainly focused on the issue of mitigation. Through a better understanding and assessment of climate challenges, adaptation arises as a complementary strategy to mitigation. Vulnerability in relation to climate change is seen as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Adaptation can influence sensitivity while mitigating impacts on the exposure to climate change. (IPCC, 2007). Adaptation requires space for climate on a local scale and should therefore be incorporated into the structure of amy given place or region. Consequently, however, implementation has to overcome local resistance. (IPCC, 2007) In this first part of a broader investigation into adaptation, the climate change challenge is situated in the Flemish context. Assessment of an appropriate framework in the international literature is followed by a delineation of the relation between space, demand and supply, and policy. A first step is taken towards the development of a climate scan tool to narrow down adaptation options and strategies. At this point, qualitative spatial implementations will be investigated through research by design in order to assess integrated and integral adaptations