Regionplanlegging

Regionplanlegging is the field of planning that coordinates development and land use across municipalities within a defined region. It aims to balance housing, employment, transport infrastructure, environmental protection, cultural heritage, and public services to support sustainable, cohesive regional growth.

It is typically implemented through regional plans that set strategic directions for the region and guide the preparation of municipal master plans, sector plans (such as transport and housing), and infrastructure investments. The process often includes data collection, scenario analysis, public participation, and impact assessments, culminating in a regional plan adopted by a regional authority or through inter-municipal agreements. Plans are reviewed on a regular cycle to reflect changing conditions.

Governance and actors vary by country but commonly include regional councils, planning boards, or networks of municipalities that coordinate on regional priorities. State or national agencies may provide guidelines and funding. In some contexts, regional planning is statutory with formal mandates; in others it operates as voluntary collaboration.

Relation to other planning levels puts regional planning between national or regional governance and local municipal planning. It provides a framework within which local plans are prepared and facilitates cross-border and cross-sectoral issues such as transportation corridors, regional housing supply, environmental protection, and climate adaptation.

Outcomes typically include more coherent land use, integrated transport networks, better conservation of natural and cultural resources, increased resilience to climate change, and enhanced regional economic performance. Critics may point to potential constraints on local autonomy and the need for meaningful participation and adequate resources.