The role of food production in planning for open space: post-war planning of the rural–urban fringes of Copenhagen and Brussels

Following the renewed attention for food production near cities, multiple concepts propose the creation of spaces for food production at the rural–urban fringe (RUF). The RUF is an area of multiple policy domains and, as a consequence, those new concepts are confronted with complexity when put into practice. Local planning history is part of the complexity as it casts shadows on contemporary planning debate and practice. This paper explores how past policies at the RUF impact the current and future policy work on spaces for local food production via comparative study of the post-war planning histories of the RUF’s in Copenhagen and Brussels. The paper addresses both policies within the urban realm, e.g. the planning of urban open spaces at the border of the city, and policies within the rural realm, e.g. the land-use rights in agricultural land and land consolidation projects. The comparative study identifies some key challenges with regards to the supply of space for local food production at the RUF in Copenhagen and the RUF in Brussels. Moreover, the paper stresses that a thorough understanding of the planning history is a prerequisite for effective food planning near the city to avoid repeating errors of the past.