Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations

Land use transformation, the longest-standing human-driven environmental alteration, is a pressing and complex issue that significantly impacts European landscapes and contributes to global environmental change. The urgency to act is reinforced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which identif...

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Main Authors: Dimitrios Koumoulidis, Ioannis Varvaris, Diofantos Hadjimitsis, Marzia Gabriele, Raffaella Brumana, Ioannis Gitas, Nikos Georgopoulos, Azadeh Abdollahnejad, Eleni Gkounti, Dimitris Stavrakoudis, Donatella Caniani, Andriy Dorosh, Roman Derkulskyi, Oksana Sakal, Shamil Ibatullin, Yevhenii Khan, Oleksandr Melnyk, Anne Fromage Mariette, Marc Tondriaux, Andrzej Perkowski, Adam Sieczka, Mariusz Maciejczak, Chryssa Kopra, Georgia Kostaki, Paraskevi Chantzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Land
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1261
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author Dimitrios Koumoulidis
Ioannis Varvaris
Diofantos Hadjimitsis
Marzia Gabriele
Raffaella Brumana
Ioannis Gitas
Nikos Georgopoulos
Azadeh Abdollahnejad
Eleni Gkounti
Dimitris Stavrakoudis
Donatella Caniani
Andriy Dorosh
Roman Derkulskyi
Oksana Sakal
Shamil Ibatullin
Yevhenii Khan
Oleksandr Melnyk
Anne Fromage Mariette
Marc Tondriaux
Andrzej Perkowski
Adam Sieczka
Mariusz Maciejczak
Chryssa Kopra
Georgia Kostaki
Paraskevi Chantzi
author_facet Dimitrios Koumoulidis
Ioannis Varvaris
Diofantos Hadjimitsis
Marzia Gabriele
Raffaella Brumana
Ioannis Gitas
Nikos Georgopoulos
Azadeh Abdollahnejad
Eleni Gkounti
Dimitris Stavrakoudis
Donatella Caniani
Andriy Dorosh
Roman Derkulskyi
Oksana Sakal
Shamil Ibatullin
Yevhenii Khan
Oleksandr Melnyk
Anne Fromage Mariette
Marc Tondriaux
Andrzej Perkowski
Adam Sieczka
Mariusz Maciejczak
Chryssa Kopra
Georgia Kostaki
Paraskevi Chantzi
author_sort Dimitrios Koumoulidis
collection DOAJ
description Land use transformation, the longest-standing human-driven environmental alteration, is a pressing and complex issue that significantly impacts European landscapes and contributes to global environmental change. The urgency to act is reinforced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which identifies industrial, commercial, and residential development—particularly near major urban centers—as key contributors to land take. As the EU sets a vision for achieving zero net land take by 2050, assessing the readiness and coherence of national legislation becomes critical. This comprehensive study employs a comparative legal analysis across five European countries—Italy, Greece, Poland, France, and Ukraine—examining their laws, strategies, and commitments related to land degradation neutrality. Using a review of national legislation and policy documents, the research identifies systemic patterns, barriers, and opportunities within current legal frameworks. The present study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, planners, and academic institutions, fostering a comprehensive understanding of existing gaps, implementation, and inconsistencies in national land use legislation. Among the results, it has become evident that a typical “pathway” between the examined states in terms of the legislative framework on land use–land take is probably a utopia for the time being. The legislations in force, in several cases, are labyrinthine and multifaceted, highlighting the urgent and immediate need for simplification and standardization. The need for this action is further underscored by the fact that, in most cases, land use frameworks are characterized by complementary legislation and ongoing amendments. Ultimately, the research underscores the critical need for harmonized governance and transparent, enforceable policies, particularly in regions where deregulated land use planning persists. The diversity in legislative layers and the decentralized role of the authorities further compounds the complexity, reinforcing the importance of cross-country dialogue and EU-wide coordination in advancing sustainable land use development.
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spelling doaj-art-b76c554b41a549e0b44aa4c9fc9b4f1e2025-08-20T03:16:33ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-06-01146126110.3390/land14061261Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European NationsDimitrios Koumoulidis0Ioannis Varvaris1Diofantos Hadjimitsis2Marzia Gabriele3Raffaella Brumana4Ioannis Gitas5Nikos Georgopoulos6Azadeh Abdollahnejad7Eleni Gkounti8Dimitris Stavrakoudis9Donatella Caniani10Andriy Dorosh11Roman Derkulskyi12Oksana Sakal13Shamil Ibatullin14Yevhenii Khan15Oleksandr Melnyk16Anne Fromage Mariette17Marc Tondriaux18Andrzej Perkowski19Adam Sieczka20Mariusz Maciejczak21Chryssa Kopra22Georgia Kostaki23Paraskevi Chantzi24Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, CyprusEratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, CyprusEratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, CyprusDepartment of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico Milano, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico Milano, 20133 Milano, ItalyLaboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Engineering, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, ItalyLand Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, UkraineLand Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, UkraineLand Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, UkraineLand Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, UkraineNational University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, UkraineNational University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, UkraineOPenIG (Occitanie Pyrénées en Intelligence Géomatique), 34090 Montpellier, FranceTerraNIS (Earth Observation for Sustainability), 31520 Ramonville-Saint-Agne, FranceMarshal Office of Mazowieckie Voivodeship (Mazovia), 03-719 Warszawa, PolandMarshal Office of Mazowieckie Voivodeship (Mazovia), 03-719 Warszawa, PolandInstitute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warszawa, PolandInterbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, GreeceInterbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, GreeceInterbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, GreeceLand use transformation, the longest-standing human-driven environmental alteration, is a pressing and complex issue that significantly impacts European landscapes and contributes to global environmental change. The urgency to act is reinforced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which identifies industrial, commercial, and residential development—particularly near major urban centers—as key contributors to land take. As the EU sets a vision for achieving zero net land take by 2050, assessing the readiness and coherence of national legislation becomes critical. This comprehensive study employs a comparative legal analysis across five European countries—Italy, Greece, Poland, France, and Ukraine—examining their laws, strategies, and commitments related to land degradation neutrality. Using a review of national legislation and policy documents, the research identifies systemic patterns, barriers, and opportunities within current legal frameworks. The present study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, planners, and academic institutions, fostering a comprehensive understanding of existing gaps, implementation, and inconsistencies in national land use legislation. Among the results, it has become evident that a typical “pathway” between the examined states in terms of the legislative framework on land use–land take is probably a utopia for the time being. The legislations in force, in several cases, are labyrinthine and multifaceted, highlighting the urgent and immediate need for simplification and standardization. The need for this action is further underscored by the fact that, in most cases, land use frameworks are characterized by complementary legislation and ongoing amendments. Ultimately, the research underscores the critical need for harmonized governance and transparent, enforceable policies, particularly in regions where deregulated land use planning persists. The diversity in legislative layers and the decentralized role of the authorities further compounds the complexity, reinforcing the importance of cross-country dialogue and EU-wide coordination in advancing sustainable land use development.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1261land useland degradation neutralityurbanizationSoil Strategy 2030land use land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)
spellingShingle Dimitrios Koumoulidis
Ioannis Varvaris
Diofantos Hadjimitsis
Marzia Gabriele
Raffaella Brumana
Ioannis Gitas
Nikos Georgopoulos
Azadeh Abdollahnejad
Eleni Gkounti
Dimitris Stavrakoudis
Donatella Caniani
Andriy Dorosh
Roman Derkulskyi
Oksana Sakal
Shamil Ibatullin
Yevhenii Khan
Oleksandr Melnyk
Anne Fromage Mariette
Marc Tondriaux
Andrzej Perkowski
Adam Sieczka
Mariusz Maciejczak
Chryssa Kopra
Georgia Kostaki
Paraskevi Chantzi
Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
Land
land use
land degradation neutrality
urbanization
Soil Strategy 2030
land use land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)
title Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
title_full Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
title_fullStr Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
title_full_unstemmed Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
title_short Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations
title_sort profiling land use planning legislative structures in five european nations
topic land use
land degradation neutrality
urbanization
Soil Strategy 2030
land use land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1261
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