Spatial Data Infrastructures at Work: Analysing the Spatial Enablement of Public Sector Processes

Chapter 4. The Zoning Plans case

81 Chapter 4 The Zoning Plans case As stated in Chapter 3, this book examines the relationship between process structure and spatial enablement at two levels: the inter-organisation case level and the intraorganisational embedded case level. The present chapter discusses the Zoning Plans case, and is organised in the following way. The first section presents a general overview of the Zoning Plans case. The second section describes the inter-organisational zoning planning process, in terms of spatial enablement, process structure and demands. The third section zooms in on the intra-organisational level. Finally, a comparative analysis of the six embedded cases of the Zoning Plans case is presented in the fourth section. 1 Case description The development of zoning plans (in Dutch: ruimtelijke uitvoeringsplannen) is the first of four processes which are selected as cases in this research. In the Flemish Region (Belgium) zoning plans (RWO, 2008) are created in the implementation of structure plans. Three governmental levels are authorised to develop both structure plans and zoning plans: the regional, the provincial and the municipal level. A zoning plan is generally aimed at the development of a specific area ranging from a single parcel to an entire city district. Each level has delineated powers with regard to spatial planning. Each of these plans is to a largeextentthesoleresponsibilityofasingleorganisation:alocalgovernment,aprovince, or the regional government. All steps in the process of creating a particular zoning plan are therefore situated within, or at least controlled by, this single organisation. The overall task division can be characterised as process-based (see Chapter 2), because the entire process of making a particular plan is allocated to a single organisation, dependent on the area and the policy domain for which the plan is being developed. However, at several points during such a process, advices on the draft plan are obtained from other organisations. The organisation which is making the plan could also choose to outsource parts of the process to a consultancy firm. This outsourcing constitutes the major form of function-based inter-organisational task division in the Zoning Plans Case. Since each zoning plan is autonomously developed by one organisation, one of the major challenges is the exchange and integration of the plans of the different organisations. According to the Decree of 18 May 1999 on spatial planning (Vlaams Parlement, 1999) the zoning planning procedure comprises seven steps: 1. The preparative phase, including information collection and the development of a preliminary draft zoning plan; 2. The plenary meeting, in which the draft is presented to the different government administrations involved; 3. The preliminary enactment by the Flemish government, the provincial council or the municipal council; 4. The public enquiry; 5. The processing of the results of the public enquiry; 82 6. The definitive enactment of the zoning plan by the Flemish government, the provincial council or the municipal council; 7. And finally, the publication of the zoning plan in the Belgian Government Gazette. Figure 9 presents an overview of these steps, of which some have time limits (Vlaams Parlement, 1999). The procedure as a whole has no time limit. Although the lead time of the procedure could be less than one year, in practice it can take (much) longer, depending on the complexity of the plan or the level of social and political consensus about its content. Figure 9 Schematic overview of the legal procedure for the Zoning Plans process (based on: Vlaams Parlement, 1999) 83 Thedecree(VlaamsParlement,1999)stipulatesthatazoningplanshouldatleastcomprise the following elements: 1. A graphical plan that represents the area to which the plan applies; 2. The regulations with regard to zoning, development and management of the area; 3. A reproduction of the physical and legal state of the area; 4. The relation with the spatial structure plan(s) in implementation of which the zoning plan is made. Figure 10 shows an example of the graphical plan of a zoning plan (RWO, 2008). As can be seen from the figure, a zoning plan defines the land use (e.g. for housing) at the parcel level. Figure 10 Example of a graphical plan of a zoning plan The (potential) role of spatial data in the zoning planning procedure can be divided into four main classes. (1) Spatial datasets can help to gather information on the physical and legal condition of the planning area. This spatial data application is situated mainly in the preparative phase (see Figure 9), but can continue throughout the...