Koninkrijk België (ndl.) Royaume de Belgique (frz.) Königreich Belgien (dt.)
Territory:	30.528 km²
Inhabitants:	10.511.382 (2006)
Number of communities:	589
Inhabitants per community:	17.840
Density of population:	344 Inhab./ km²
GDP per Inhabitant:	US$ 23.866 (2005)

«When you speak about planning you cannot speak about
'Belgium' but about 'Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels'»

Short Outline
Belgium divides itself in the two large regions of Flanders and Wallonia, this is also relevant for spatial planning. A higher level of planning for the whole of Belgium doesn't exist. A level of regional planning first came into existence at the end of the 80's as a result of the politics of
regionalisation. The three regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels have their own regional planning. The German-speaking part of the country (officially Wallonia) has its own regional planning.

The language differences always mirror themselves with the differing planning traditions and systems. For example transport problems in Flanders are tackled more by traffic control and calming, whereas Wallonia concentrates on constructing infrastructure.

Coordination between the regions' planning hardly happens. On a project level (e.g. a new TGV connection), coordination is possible but time consuming. The Cologne-Brussels route took 10 years to be planed and built.

Due to Belgium being relatively densely built up, urban sprawl and sustainable regional development is an important issue at the moment.

Summary of the interviews
In Belgium, national planning is non-existent. The system of regional
planning is arranged around the language-cultural affiliation of Flanders to the Netherlands and Wallonia to France. Besides Brussels, there is a fourth German-speaking region. On an inter-regional / national level, large projects, e.g. routes for high speed passenger trains or airport developments are agreed on. These agreements take place depending on the sector and individual case.

Current spatial planning problems in Flanders are issues about transport infrastructure like airport development, port development (Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Gent), after having extended the high-speed passenger railways, how to expand the motorways. Further issues are the extension of areas with a national importance like the business areas in Antwerp.

Interviews with
Didier Vancutsem, Planner and lecturer
Prof. Jef van den Broek, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven