The green belt has been one of the UK’s most consistent and successful planning policies. It has limited urban sprawl and preserved the countryside around cities—but what is its role in an era of unprecedented urban growth and potentially catastrophic climate change? Repurposing the Green Belt in the 21st Century examines the history of the green belt in the UK and how it has influenced planning regimes in other countries. Despite the undoubted achievements of the green belt, the authors argue, it is time to review it as an instrument of urban planning and landscape design, now that the problem of the ecological impact of cities and the mitigation measures of major climate changes are at the top of the urban agenda across the world.
 
Through an examination of practice in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany, Repurposing the Green Belt in the 21st Century proposes a framework for a reconsideration of the critical relationship between the city and its hinterlands. It will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students of planning, landscape architecture, urban design, architecture, and land economics, as well as practitioners in design, planning, and real estate.
 

Peter Bishop is a professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.Alona Martinez Perez is a senior lecturer at De Montfort University. Rob Roggema is professor of landscape architect and professor of spatial transformation at Hanze University, the Netherlands. Lesley Williams is a partner at Bishop & Williams LTD.
 

Introduction Peter Bishop 1.A Lost Arcadia: The Historical Emergence of Green Belt Thinking in the UK   Peter Bishop 2.Garden Cities, Suburbs and Fringes: The Green Belt in a Global Setting Alona Martinez Perez 3.An Arena of Conflict: The Green Belt Debate in the 21st Century Peter Bishop 4.The Beltscape: New Horizons for the City in its Natural Region Rob Roggema 5.Conclusions: The Green Belt – A Legacy for the 22nd Century Peter Bishop Index