Development Constraints reduce urban open space: Actual conditions and future requirements in England

摘要: An important function of the land-use planning system in England is to evaluate development proposals according to societal priorities and identified needs. One longstanding objective has been to protect the open countryside from urban sprawl. Reasons include the importance given to safeguarding agricultural land in the postwar period and the cultural significance attached to the countryside. National government policy support has come in the form of green belts, the nationalisation of development rights and a plan-led approach to rural development (Cullingworth and Nadin, 2007). The heavily centralised nature of the planning system in England stands in stark contrast to the local authority encouraged sprawl that currently grips many European countries (Hoggart, 2005) and the diverse array of policy innovations that have been adopted across the United States to deal with stronger individual property rights (Daniels, 1999). The strength of implementation in England further reflects opportunities for local participation and strong resistance to rural change (Murdoch and Marsden, 1994). Yet where the development of open space around urban areas has been constrained the resulting outcome has not always been positive (see also Kartez, 1982). Criticism has emerged where the quantity of land protected is prioritised over its quality or management. Furthermore, in search of rural housing, urban households have either purchased existing housing in rural villages or looked further afield, often beyond green belts, for new dwellings. Resulting policy dilemmas have included how to provide affordable rural housing and how to manage long …