The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, counting about 16 million inhabitants. The centre of urbanisation is in the western part of the country near the North Sea (about 7.5 million people). The “Randstad”, comprises the four largest cities of the country (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht) and is ring-shaped with a “green belt” in the central area. The country has a well-advanced road transport system, a dense and frequently served public transport network, and high bicycle use compared to many other European countries (Salomon et. al., 1993). Some might call the Netherlands a “townstate” or a "municipal kingdom", highly urbanised with ever-reducing differences between urban and rural areas. In spite of that, "decentralisation" has been a highly topical issue in the past few years. This paper will highlight the main trends, past and future, of Dutch national and regional policy. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting