Nature and landscape planning and policy in NW Europe; Dutch and German examples

New concepts for nature and landscape planning are emerging. To illustrate some of these new concepts, a number of Dutch and German projects are discussed. They show how nature and landscape can be developed or restored, and protected in combination with functions such as river and coastal management, urbanisation or out-door recreation. However, the projects described do not stand on their own, but can be put in a framework of socio-economic developments in NW-Europe. On one hand,there is a process of urbanisation going on, and, on the other hand agricultural processes of intensification and marginalisation take place. Two studies, the Dutch Central City Belt study and the German Schorfheide-Chorin study, are elaborated on, to illustrate landscape planning in the context of socio-economic processes. The methods and procedures as presented may play an important role in regional decision making for future urban and rural developments.