English Abstract During the last few decades urban expansion in the
Netherlands has led to a reduction in the quality of Dutch landscapes.
Historic features continue to disappear. The government's new National
Spatial Strategy identifies twenty National Landscapes where the
implementation of landscape and heritage policies will be concentrated.
This approach appears to be a promising one, on the condition that a clear
assessment framework is developed. This is all the more relevant because
the government has also decided on a limited regime of planning protection
for the National Landscapes. The provincial councils, which will be
responsible for pursuing the policy and have a central coordinating role,
now face the challenge of developing a vision for implementing national
landscape policies and ensuring that they are translated into regional and
local plans. Calls for clear objectives and firm direction from government
have also been made with respect to other areas of nature and landscape
policy, particularly for the development of green recreational areas near
the cities.
Rapport in het kort
Dier- en plantensoorten profiteren van de verbeterde
milieukwaliteit en van de bescherming door Europese regelgeving. Toch nemen
de Nederlandse natuur- en landschapskwaliteit nog altijd af. Het kabinet
legt meer verantwoordelijkheden neer bij provincies en gemeenten. Vooral
van de provincies wordt daarmee een krachtige regie
gevraagd.
