Land Take in Europe - In Pursuit of Net Zero

While Germany pursues and still struggles with the 30-hectare goal to reduce land consumption, the European Commission called for a net-zero land take by 2050. Land consumption, or ‘land take’, is a primary type of land use change at the expense of natural and agricultural land.  To address the degradation of the land system, the European Commission has called for ‘No Net Land Take’ by 2050. This No Net Land Take (NNLT) objective implies that land take needs to be avoided, minimised, and compensated by land reconversion to non-artificial land categories. Within an NNLT framework, existing settlement areas should be densified. Nevertheless, spatial growth continues to dominate traditional planning discourse.

This IAK working group aims to bridge the knowledge gap between planning research and the evolving NNLT policy and practice of European states and regions. Identifying the success factors and obstacles that occur during this transition is highly relevant for other states and regions considering a net-zero or reduction pathway. The international working group explores several research questions, such as: What is the current status of NNLT policies in European countries and regions that are pioneers in this field? Given that the European NNLT target is politically controversial in some countries and regions, how can differences between various contexts be addressed to achieve net zero? How can local authorities become more involved in this transition?

Dr. Ir. Peter Lacoere, Chair
HOGENT University College & KU Leuven, Belgium
peter.lacoere@hogent.be

 Prof. Dr. Thomas Hartmann, Co-Chair
TU Dortmund University, Germany
thomas.hartmann@tu-dortmund.de

^{Title illustration was generated using an AI-based image generation tool (Midjourney) based on a detailed conceptual prompt by the ARL. The visual was further curated and selected to communicate the concept of “no net land take” in an abstract and diagrammatic manner.}