STRUCTURE OF PHYSICAL PLANNING IN THE NETHUERLANDS 
Figure 1 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
-1069 - 
Around 10% of the 40.000 km2 (approx.) in the Netherlands can be 
considered to be urbanized. About 60% is cultivated, 10% forest and nature 
areas, and 20% water (10% salt water, 10% fresh water). Although the 
Netherlands has the image of a "drowned" country, the urbanized area is 
in fact as large as the area of inland water. Furthermore, urban land use 
is increasing at 2.5% per year, mainly at the cost of agricultural land. 
At the national level, the government, in particular the Ministry of 
Housing and Physical Planning, formulates a physical planning policy in 
national reports. The First Report on Physical Planning appeared in 1960, 
ie Second in 1966, and various parts of the Third Report are being dealt 
with in parliament at present. It is hoped to arrive at a more action 
oriented approach from now on by means of a monitoring and review process 
which every five years will bring the policy up to date and perhaps totally 
reformulate aspects of it. 
The character of these reports is indicative, oriented towards the long 
term. The reports attempt to coordinate the policies of various sector 
departments, insofar as their activities are relevant for physical planning 
policy. 
In order to make the fairly general policy guidelines operational for 
physical planning, it is sometimes necessary to delve deeper into concrete 
situations. It can also happen that concrete issues of a mainly local nature 
are considered at the national level, for instance in connection with the 
granting of subsidies 0o urban renewal areas. 
The eleven provinces in the Netherlands vary in area from 1400 to 
5000 km2. Despite the relatively urbanised character of the Netherlands in 
comparison to other countries, considerable differences between the provinces 
do exist. The urbanized proportion varies between 5 and 20%, the number of 
cities with more than 50.000 inhabitants between O and 9. The Western part 
of the Netherlands, especially, is strongly urbanized. 
The physical planning policy of a province is prepared by the Provincial 
Planning Agency, and takes the form of a "regional structure plan", in 
which all physical planning aspects are coordinated. This structure plan 
oriented towards the mid-long term and, of course, is more concrete than 
the national reports. It serves as a clear framework for the exetutive lower 
administrative levels. 
There are in the Netherlands more than 900 local authorities which 
vary greatly in size and degree of urbanisation.