Comparing Switzerland and the Netherlands

In comparison to Switzerland, the Netherlands can be considered an extreme case from the perspective of the variables studied in this project: performance-based planning is very well developed in the Netherlands and land policy is very much standard. From a research perspective, the comparison with an extreme case is interesting because the mechanisms at play are more easily visible and graspable (Yin 2009). Switzerland and the Netherlands are of comparable size and face important growth pressure on a buildable area that is becoming scarce. Whereas in Switzerland densification has become a major issue in professional circles as well as in the broader population (as shown by many recent popular initiatives at cantonal and federal levels), there is still much questioning on the way to implement it. In Switzerland, project-based planning – often taking the form of Special landuse plans (“Sondernutzungsplan” or “plan d’affectation special”) – is gaining momentum nationwide (see below). In the Netherlands, project-based planning is the norm. In both national settings, extensive negotiations between planning authorities and economic actors are needed. In Switzerland, the planning system tends to become more flexible, not so much through deregulation, but through greater attention given to land policy and project-based planning. In recent years, since 2013/14, the Netherlands tends to become stricter about extreme forms of land policy, as some it brought municipalities to take too much financial risk (Buitelaar 2010, van Straalen et al. 2014, Buitelaar et al. 2007, Van der Krabben & Jacobs 2013). This adds an interesting dimension to the national comparison, because people are more aware of potential negative consequences of extreme forms of land policy.