Land Policy in Belgium: How to Limit Land Take in a “Landowners’Paradise”?

In Belgium, the relationship between individual property rights and collectively desired land use objectives has historically favored landowners, leading to the country being described as a “landowners’ paradise”. However, this advantageous position for landowners presents a serious obstacle to controlling urban sprawl. In response to the European Union’s goal of limiting land take, Belgian authorities are now working to develop new policies that align with the no net land take (NNLT) objective. This applies to the two main regions of the country: Flanders and Wallonia. Through the exploration of two cases in the Flemish city of Ghent, this contribution assesses how Flanders’ planning is designing strategies to meet the NNLT goals. A reflection on the similarities and differences with the policy approach in Wallonia to meet almost the same goals holds international relevance, as it demonstrates how two regions emerging from a common legal and planning framework can adopt substantially different strategies due to their respective contextual factors.