All Around the World - The Netherlands

This is the third of a series of episodes being led by the oldest friend of the podcast, Paul Smith. Paul put it to Sam Stafford that debates about the planning system in England tend, for the most part, to focus solely on the planning system in England. We very seldom look to other countries for inspiration and ideas. Paul wanted to remedy that and so in this series he is chatting with planning professionals and academics from a number of countries to find out what works well there, what works less well, and what can we learn. In this episode Paul chats to Jannes Willems and Lilian van Karnenbeek about planning in the Netherlands. In a conversation recorded online in October 2025 they talked about a new Dutch Environment & Planning Act; subsidiarity between the three levels of Dutch planning; active and passive land use policy; public engagement in the Dutch system; cycling obviously; and the role of land reclamation in making planning so central to Dutch culture. Some accompanying reading. Insights on the Dutch Environment & Planning Act Icons of Dutch Spatial Planning Brilliant Orange 50 Shades T-Shirts Save The Date: Live Event 1 June 2026 Public Sector RTPI Survey Private Sector RTPI Survey Identifying the delays and barriers experienced in the planning applications process Planning in the Pub Some accompanying listening The Fall – Kurious Oranj Any other business. If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why (via [email protected]). Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome. If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug. If you are a new listener do please check out the back catalogue where you will find episodes on myriad planning topics, as well as the Hitting The High Notes and All Around the World series, and remember that by subscribing new episodes will magically appear in your phone as soon as Sam has published them. 50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam. Sam is grateful to Richborough, Town Legal and Tyler Grange for supporting the podcast; to Vistry for sponsoring the 50 Shades mugs; and to Rachael Cooper and Adrian Meehan for recording and editing this episode. Sam is on Bluesky and Instagram. His blog contains a link to his newsletter.