Vinex policy moves into the implementation phase

National policy on urban and regional planning, as laid down in the Fourth Report on Physical Planning Extra (VINEX), is now being put into practice. The main point made in this document is that activities must be concentrated in the city regions in order to fortify the urban economic base, to economize on the consumption of land, and to restrict (increasing) car mobility in favor of public transport and bicycle traffic. Concrete agreements pertaining to all VINEX development areas and all city regions have been signed by national, provincial, and local authorities. The agreements are based on a timetable spanning a period often years (1995-2005). The only thing that remains to be done is to implement the plans. However, the implementation of VINEX has been lagging far behind the production targets. In this article, we take a close look at how the national policy goals are implemented, using some examples from the field. We examine the content of the VINEX covenants and try to detect gaps in the agreements, which seem to be strictly formulated. This article demonstrates the range of attitudes among provincial and local authorities. The differences largely reflect the regional context involved. We draw attention to the influence of regionalisation (and the failure to achieve it) on the pace of implementation. Furthermore, we outline the various positions of actors involved in VINEX on both the supply and the demand side. Private parties, including privatized organizations that previously operated under the umbrella of government, are now directly involved and bear a sizable share of the risk. Not surprisingly, they also demand more say in how plans are carried out. Government authorities, however, remain the guardians of the collective interests that policy is meant to serve. Therefore, their role in directing the negotiations on the implementation of projects is more critical than ever before. Indeed, the role of the public sector will remain crucial for some time, since the mainstay of spatial planning until the year 2010 will be continuity.