Taking national planning seriously: A challenged planning agenda in the Netherlands

The Dutch planning system has been widely feted as a coordinated, ‘plan-led’ and evidence-informed system that has been successfully implemented, resulting in sensitive land management, an absence of urban sprawl and the protection of ‘green areas’. However, at least since the 1970s, the reality has been somewhat different. This paper reviews Dutch planning history over the past fifty years to highlight in particular the challenge of implementation. The paper also reviews the current challenges facing Dutch planners and provides some international reflection from Dutch experiences for Irish planners.