Regional Spatial Development Policy. Flanders Case

After the federal law on urbanism and spatial planning (1962) and the subsequent detailed zoning plans covering the entire country, the government of the Belgian Northern Region Flanders decided in the mid 1990’s to develop a strategic spatial structure plan as a policy framework for the future. Given the growing environmental challenges, the economic development pressure and the need to invest in degrading city centers, a new plan (Ruimtelijk Structuurplan Vlaanderen) and an accompanying new planning legislation was developed and approved by parliament (1997).

Returning from his first Latin American project, Joris Scheers was part of the coordinating plangroep of this first policy plan (1994-1997), conformed by KULeuven and UGent academics and practicioners.

In 2010, the government of Flanders decided to develop a second spatial policy framework, called Beleidsplan Ruimte Vlaanderen. Joris Scheers chaired the Ambtelijk Forum, a policy committee integrating the several sectoral administrations, resulting in a green paper called ‘Flanders in 2050: Human scale in a Metropolis?’, approved by Flanders Government in 2012.

http://www.beleidsplanruimte.be/