Perspectives on Planning and Urban Development in Belgium

✍ Scribed by Ashok K. Dutt, Frank J. Costa (auth.), Ashok K. Dutt, Frank J. Costa (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 214
• Series: The GeoJournal Library 22
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Belgium is a small country, but its planning traditions are rooted in a heritage which has been greatly enriched by its central location in the West European community of nations. Medieval, Renaissance and industrial age planning and urban design gave Belgium many examples of architectural masterpieces especially in the city centers. During the post World War II period, Belgian planners and politicians legislated national planning laws that divided the country into 48 planning regions (also called sub-regions and sectors) and empowered the municipalities (communes) with potent legal instruments to direct land development in accordance with their plans. Preparation, amendment and execution of these plans in a democratic society with a strong laissezJaire tradition have been painstaking, but nonethe­ less, significant tangible results have been achieved. The purpose of this book is to explore and assess the successes and failure of Belgian planning and make this record available in English so that they may remain facets of Belgian planning. The general socio-economic and historical background is provided with a view to understanding the theoretical, legal, physical and selected topical aspects of Belgian planning. In doing so a multi-disciplinary approach has been taken and the authors have been selected from a variety of disciplines. Professor Louis Albrechts of the University of Leuven is a planning theorist. Ms. Brigitte Beernaert and Mr. Karel Vroom are practicing planners. Beernaert is also a planning historian. Legal and administrative backgrounds are represented by the planning experts, Dr.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xii
An Introductory Framework for Planning in Belgium....Pages 1-26
Changing Aspects of Belgian Public Planning....Pages 27-42
The Administrative Structure of Planning in Belgium....Pages 43-59
Procedures for Planning in the Flemish Region....Pages 61-69
The Geolinguistic Framework for Planning and Urban Development in Belgium....Pages 71-89
Planning the Coastal Zone in Belgium....Pages 91-109
Reinventing Brussels: Urban Profiles of Ideology, Power and Politics....Pages 111-126
Antwerp: A Modern City with a Significant Historic Heritage....Pages 127-145
Historic Preservation in Bruges: Continuous Planning in Operation....Pages 147-171
Spatial Planning in the Liege Region: 1948–1988....Pages 173-192
Louvain-la-Neuve: A Unique New Town....Pages 193-208
Back Matter....Pages 209-210

✦ Subjects

Environmental Management; Architecture, general; Human Geography; Economic Geography