Towards a territorialized approach to urban renewal: A comparison of policies in France and the Netherlands

Urban renewal is an important objective of public policies in France and in the Netherlands. In both countries, central government involvement in urban renewal is evolving from direct intervention through sectoral subsidies, towards a “territorialized” policy. Funding for urban renewal is made available for local planning authorities in contracts with central government. These contracts are based on territorial strategies elaborated at the local level. This takes place in a context where the role of the public sector is changing. Local planning authorities become more autonomous and depend to a lesser extent on central government. At the same time, they develop a more businesslike approach towards co-operation with private bodies. In this article, the evolution of urban renewal policies in France and the Netherlands is examined within this context. It appears that in both countries, a territorialized approach towards urban renewal is found to be adequate. However, important questions remain unanswered regarding the appropriate level of public intervention, its legitimacy, the division of risks and rewards among partners in urban renewal projects, and the capacity of local planning authorities.