Nordregio is an international research institute established by the Nordic Council of Ministers

January 2020 – December 2024

Land policies in Europe

For many years now, access to building land has been a topic of discussion in most European countries. In these discussions competing interests and affordability are often core themes. Various solutions, for example the effectiveness of individual land policy instruments or the acceleration of planning procedures, are evaluated. However, the provision of building land is not only an administrative question, but above all a political one. In many European countries there is a lively discussion and on-going innovation related to land policy.

The ARL working group Land Policies in Europe focuses on building land as a scarce good. Experts on land policy from twelve countries regularly come together to learn from each other and fundamentally reflect on land policy approaches, often in a dialogue with policy makers. Core issues to discuss are how instruments of land policy are used and can be used strategically to govern the scarce resource of land effectively, efficiently, just, and in a legitimized way to address the planning challenges of our time. Currently, a book on the role of land policy in affordable housing provision is being prepared with examples from all the involved countries.

Participants in the project come from Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Poland.

Project output is now published:

Projects facts

Date: January 2020 – December 2024

Lead partners: Technical University Dortmund and Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Client

ARL Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association

Project manager

Senior Research Fellow & Staff Manager

RESEARCH

Explore more research projects on regional development and planning

January 2022 – December 2027

DigiHub

October 2024 – April 2026

Planners’ Forum