Rules versus ideas in landscape protection: is a Green Heart attack imminent?

Landscape protection in metropolitan areas is an ongoing activity that lies outside the remit of political office-holders. As political agendas change, the importance of landscape protection on strategic planning agendas may also change. This paper raises the question whether this strategic level of landscape protection ought to rest on rules or ideas, and uses the Dutch Green Heart as a case study. The success of Dutch planning has been attributed to a planning doctrine which has evolved around a principle of spatial organization consisting of an open landscape (a Green Heart) in the middle of a ‘rim’ city – in this case the Dutch Randstad. After this success had been recognized, policies were developed to formalize the protection of the Green Heart in strategic planning rules. Political controversies ensued, which resulted in the abolition of Green Heart policies at national level. Recently, the province of Zuid-Holland adopted a new structural vision and a byelaw in which there is no role for the Green Heart in development control. This paper analyses this new system of strategic development control and discusses the role of rules as opposed to ideas in landscape protection.     

The current urbanization policy evaluated

The Dutch national government is pursuing an urbanization policy by which most development is to be concentrated in and around a limited number of towns and cities. This policy can be seen as a continuation of the previous policies of the national government, but in a more extreme form. Furthermore that government is trying to get it realized in new ways, with the municipalities in a city region working together more closely and assuming more of the financial responsibility. It is too soon to say whether the new policy will succeed, but some of the necessary conditions are not being met. In particular, the reorganization of local government is meeting great difficulties, and the land and housing markets are changing in unforeseen ways. Tim Zwanikkenis researcher at the University of Nijmegen, School of Environmental Studies. Barrie Needham is Professor of Spatial Planning at the University of Nijmegen, School of Environmental Studies.     

Urbanization and spatial planning in an international perspective

This contribution compares Germany, France, and the United Kingdom with the Netherlands on a number of issues. The focus is on (a) processes of urbanization and (b) urban policies (broadly defined in an economic, social, and ecological sense). These issues are seen in relation to national spatial planning. The authors combine the findings of this comparative analysis with the results of previous research by one of the authors. At the end, they draw some conclusions and make recommendations for the next (Fifth) Report on Physical Planning in the Netherlands. Ton Kreukels is professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences at Utrecht University. From 1986 to 1992, he was also a member of the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy. Then, and especially in this last position, his research was focused on a study of the four big cities and city regions in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. From 1992 up to the present, he has been involved in a comparative study of urban regions in Europe, including those of the Netherlands. Egge-Jan Pollé is a human geographer from Utrecht University. In 1996, while a junior-researcher at Utrecht University, he worked together with the first author on the study about Germany, France, and the United Kingdom that is reported in this article. That study was commissioned by the Netherlands National Spatial Planning Agency.     

Planning Concepts for Cities in Transition: Regionalization of Urbanity in the Amsterdam Structure Plan

'Opting for urbanity' is the main thread running through the Amsterdam structure plan currently under preparation. But what is 'urbanity'? How is it emerging in a multi-centred region? What spatial planning implications does it entail? These questions were at the outset of a research study commissioned by the municipality of Amsterdam to the Amsterdam study centre for the Metropolitan Environment (AME) and summarized in this article. There are two main conclusions. The first is that traditional inside out development strategies--accommodating the expansion of a single core and its periphery--must be substituted by outside in development strategies, seeking to achieve a new synergy among different sub-centres and places at the urban-regional level. The second is that new sub-centres will have to be developed as real centres of urbanity instead of as mono-functional islands, as currently still the case. In order to implement these strategies the municipality needs to enter coalitions with a variety of public and private actors, spanning different spatial scales and policy sectors.     

Travelling at 300 km/hour under the “Green Heart” of Holland — a tunnelling challenge

A beautiful piece of countryside, located in the western part of The Netherlands, is surrounded by the dense urban areas of four cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Den Haag (The Hague). Because of its location and its rural beauty, this central park within the urban agglomeration of Western Holland is referred to as Holland's “Groene Hart” (Green Heart). About 600.000 people live in this area. Most of the land is countryside mainly used for agricultural purposes, such as dairy farms and marketgardening. The Green Heart is one of last remaining undisturbed natural landscapes in Western Holland. Fragmentation of this region will increase urban development and decrease the value of the scenic countryside. Considering these factors, the Dutch Government decided in April 1998 that the straightest possible route between Amsterdam and Rotterdam would be a shield driven tunnel under the Greene Heart to minimise nuisance and disturbance during the construction, as well as during future operation. This paper deals with the complex process of decision making, and reviews design aspects, research, construction, and project organisation, concluding with finance, public private partnership, and the planning of the shield-driven Green Heart Tunnel.     

On the social significance of spatial location; Spatial segregation and social inclusion

This article gives an overview of the positive and negative aspects of spatial concentration and segregation. We argue that much of the literature is biased; it emphasizes the drawbacks of spatial concentration and segregation of low-income groups in general and immigrants in particular. The opportunities offered by concentration and segregation, which almost always depend on the presence of local solidarity networks, are given less attention. These opportunities are mainly treated in the literature on ethnic entrepreneurs. Much of the literature on the effects of spatial concentration and segregation is based on research in the United States. Thus, we have to be very careful when we apply the results to West European countries. The overview concludes with some suggestions for further research. This paper was first presented at the COST-CIVITAS Conference on Social Fragmentation, Social Cohesion and Urban Governance in Oslo, 5–7 June 1997. Gideon Bolt is a PhD researcher at the Urban Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Utrecht University. His work concerns the importance of the neighborhood with regard to the migration patterns of Turks. Jack Burgers is an associate professor of sociology at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Ronald van Kempen is an associate professor at the Urban Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.     

Strategic study on the utilization of underground space in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, interest in utilization of underground space has been increasing over the pastdecade. To examine the potential for subsurface space use, a national lldStrategic Study on the Utilization of Underground Space” was carried out by the Centre for Underground Construction (Centrum Ondergrounds Bouwen, COB) and Delft University of Technology (TUD), on the initiative of the National Physical Planning Service (Rijksplanologische Dienst, RPD) of Service (Rijksplanologische Dienst, RPD) of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. The paper describes the objectives of the study, the characteristics of underground space use in the Netherlands, positive and negative influences on the potential use of such space, and conclusion of the Strategic Study, including likely prospective applications of subsurface space in the Netherlands.     

The semantic interview,a tool for research on urban meaning

This is a revised version of a paper presented at the International Research Conference, “Housing, Policy, and Urban Innovation” held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in June–July, 1988. The Conference was sponsored by three research institutes that are members of the Netherlands Organisation of Research Institutes in the field of housing and urban research (GS): the Center for Metropolitan Research, University of Amsterdam; the Institute of Geographical Research, University of Utrecht; and, OTB Research Institute for Policy Sciences and Technology Delft University of Technology.     

Books Received

American Land Planning Law Norman Williams, Jr. Callaghan &; Company, Chicago, 1974–1975, 5 volumes, $225 (cloth).

Federal Environmental Law The Environmental Law Institute (Erica L. Dolgin and Thomas G. P. Guilbert, editors), West Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minnesota, 1974. xxxv + 1,600 pp. $20.00.

Group Techniques for Program Planning. A Guide to Nominal Group and Delphi Processes Andre L. Delbecq, Andrew H. Van de Ven, David H. Gustafson. Scott Foresman and Company, Glen-view, Illinois, 1975. 174 pp., $4.95, paperback.

Soviet planning literature Planirovanie Social'nogo Razvitia Kollektiva Pred-prijatia: Metodicheskie Rekomendacii (Planning of a Social Development of a Collective Enterprise: Methodological Recommendations) D. A. Kerimov, Ju. E. Volkov, L. N. Kogan, E. S. Kus'min, L. A. Olesnevich, V. R. Polozov, S. F. Frolov, eds. Profizdat, Moscow, 1971. 207 pp.

Planirovanie Social'nogo Razvitia Proizvodstven-nogo Kollektiva (Planning for Social Development of a Production Collective) P. P. Luzan. Mysl', Moscow, 1972. 206 pp.

Problemy Social'nogo Planirovania (Nekotorie Aktual'nye Voprosy Teorii i Praktiki.) [Social Planning Problems (Some Current Theoretical and Practical Questions)] D. A. Keromov, V. R. Polozov, L. I. Spiridonov, A. F. Sinel'nikov. Mysl', Moscow, 1974. 215 pp.

Planirovanie Ekonomicheskogo i Social'nogo Razvitia (Planning for Economic and Social Growth) A. I. Klinskij. Mysl', Moscow, 1974. 216 pp.

Nauchnoe Predvidenie v Voennom Dele (Scientific Forecasting in the Military Services) Major General V. K. Konoplev. Voennoe Izdatel'stvo Ministerstva Oborony SSSR, Moscow, 1974. 199 pp.

Problemy Planirovania i Prognozirovania. Posviash-chaestsia 80-letiju so Dnia Rozhdenia Akademika Vasilia Sergeevicha Nemchinova (Problems of Planning and Forecasting: Dedicated to the 80th Birthday Anniversary of Academician Vasil Sergeevich Nemchinov) N. P. Fedorenko, ed. Nauka, Moscow, 1974. 295 pp.

Politics of Urban Development in Singapore Robert E. Gramer. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1972. 263 pp.

The Building Code Burden Charles G. Field and Steven R. Rivkin, D. C. Health: Lexington Books, 1975. 240 pp., $14.00.

Open Space and Recreation Opportunity in America's Inner Cities Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1974. 153 pp., n.p.

The Application of a Recreation-Experience Components Concept for Comprehensive Recreation Planning Monty Christiansen. Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Commonweaith of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 1974. 134 pp., n.p.

Planning a Tourist-Recreation Region for the Age of Leisure Leland L. Nicholls. Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., 1974. 98 pp., n.p.

Urban Design as Public Policy Jonathan Barnett. Architectural Record Books, McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y. viii + 200 pp. $15.00.

Not with a Gun Jean Carper. Grossman Publishers, New York, New York, 1973. 211 pp. $6.95 (cloth).

Metropolitan Manila Authority: A Development and Reform Strategy Proposal Inter-Agency Committee on Metropolitan Manila. Government Printing Office, Manila, 1973. $6.00.

Restructuring Government in Metropolitan Manila Local Government Center, College of Public Administration. University of the Philippines, Manila, 1973. $3.00.

Metropolitan Manila Today and Tomorrow Institute of Philippine Culture. Ateneo de Manila, Quezon City, 1972. $5.00.

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Environmental Science Daniel Lapedes, ed. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, New York, 1974. 763 pp. $24.50 (cloth).     

日本千叶大学绿地环境学科的教育模式与教学特色

千叶大学园艺学部绿地环境学科相当于国内的风景园林学,主要由环境造园学、绿地科学、环境健康学3个研究领域构成,下辖15个研究室。3个研究领域基本涵盖了风景园林学科的主要研究方向。研究室是学校科研和管理组织的最基本单位,具有相对独立性,每个研究室有属于自己的风格文化。园艺学部绿地环境学科的环境造园学领域在教学特色方面主要归纳为4点:理论研究选题广泛且偏向于量化研究;国际化视野与理念教学;注重教学实践;强调手工模型制作的重要性。     

Contesting green technology in the city: techno-apartheid or equitable modernisation?

In recent decades, heated debate around green technology and its equitable access has aroused the concern of international scholars. This paper provides a review on the exclusion of green technology referred to as ‘green techno-apartheid’ and examines selected key eco-cities (i.e. Masdar, Songdo IBD and Bangalore) considered in the 2013 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on ‘City-Level Decoupling’ (2013). Metropolitan planning is a crucial instrument in addressing the challenges of urban social sustainability and is thus considered an important mechanism for developing a platform to approach issues of equitable access to green technology. The study reviews five metropolitan plans: the ‘London Plan’ (London, England), the ‘Municipal Plan 2011 for Greater Copenhagen’ (Copenhagen, Denmark), the ‘Economically Strong and Sustainable Structural Vision: Amsterdam 2040’ (Amsterdam, Netherlands), the ‘Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy’ (Hong Kong, China) and the ‘Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036’ (Sydney, Australia). The results of the study suggest that while all these plans focus on promoting green technology within a framework of ecological modernisation, they lack appropriate tools for achieving equitable modernisation and enhancing social equity. Consequently, it is essential that researchers and planners take further steps and develop effective instruments to improve equitable access to green technologies and achieve long-term urban social sustainability.     

日本东京农业大学关于造园学的研究机构

日本东京农业大学的公园绿地研究工作，在世界上是领先的，它隶属于地域环境科学系造园科学科，设有造园学专业博士前期、后期课程，有完备的教学和科研体制和设施，致力于培养人才，勇于向公园绿地领域所必需的技术、调查分析和规划设计3方面进行挑战，满足国内外造园专业的需要。     

Financing the non-profit rented sector in Western Europe

The degree to which the non-profit rented sector in Western Europe has had to adjust itself toward privatization is the subject of this article. Specifically, we examine how private financing in the non-profit rented sector is implemented in Western Europe. We also trace how these practices affect the way the sector performs in various countries. In the final section of this paper, we shed some light on the diversity of responses to the challenges facing the non-profit rented sector in Western Europe. This article is based on the study “Financing the non-profit rented sector in Western Europe”, published in the series Housing and Urban Policy Studies. This project was carried out by the OTB Research Institute for Policy Sciences and Technology of Delft University of Technology, in cooperation with the School of the Built Environment of the De Montfort University in Leicester (UK). This cooperation forms part of the Centre for Comparative Housing Research. Peter Boelhouwer is a senior researcher at the OTB Research Institute for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies, Delft University of Technology. His research focus has been on general housing policy, housing finance and comparative housing research.     

从北林“绿规”课程发展60年看园林规划课程的设置

北京林业大学园林学院＂城市绿地系统规划＂课程是风景园林专业的主干课程,历经了六十年的岁月洗礼。本文通过相关文献资料的整理和分析,回顾＂绿规＂课程六十年的历史演变,梳理不同时期的发展特征,思考和展望园林规划课程的未来,在此基础上,提出构建风景园林专业园林规划系列课程的设想。     

Centre for Urban & Landscape Planning History (CUL), established at Kassel University,Germany

The Centre for Urban & Landscape Planning History (CUL) at Kassel University has recently been founded as a networking platform aiming at international cooperation on planning history research. It comprises the disciplines of urban planning, open space planning, and landscape-planning history, with a first major comparative research project on the history of planning education in Europe.     

Planning doctrine as an element in planning history: the case of Cardiff

This paper sets out to illustrate the value of the notion of planning doctrine in urban planning history. Planning doctrine is a perspective within which planning issues are framed, and possibilities and solutions emerge; it includes ideas about appropriate spatial structure as well as appropriate mechanisms (public/private/and so on) for achieving change. The paper uses the idea of planning doctrine in discussing key strands in the history of planning in Cardiff, south Wales since the early twentieth century. It argues that the development of a planning doctrine provides a key to the pattern of Cardiff’s planning and connects the city’s planning to a broader national and regional context. Since the mid‐1950s a planning doctrine has clearly shaped the plans for the city. Moreover, doctrine has been nurtured, sustained and modified (but not renounced) as economic and political circumstances change because it has a valuable function in sustaining a broad socio‐political consensus in support of the main priorities and directions in the city’s planning.     

Planning system and landscape: a Dutch example

The relationship between landscape and planning system in the Netherlands is discussed, using the Green Heart as an example. The Green Heart is the relatively open, agricultural area in the heart of the most densely populated urban area of the country, widely known as the Randstad Holland. Its preservation has always been a key objective in the national planning system. Since changes to this system are imminent, changes to the Green Heart policy are inevitable.     

Planning system and landscape: a Dutch example

The relationship between landscape and planning system in the Netherlands is discussed, using the Green Heart as an example. The Green Heart is the relatively open, agricultural area in the heart of the most densely populated urban area of the country, widely known as the Randstad Holland. Its preservation has always been a key objective in the national planning system. Since changes to this system are imminent, changes to the Green Heart policy are inevitable.