ABSTRACT
Introduction One of the main arguments we present throughout this book is the need to rethink our understanding of what green belts are, what they are comprised of, and whether their designation is still fit for purpose. All of these influence how our socioeconomic perceptions frame these locations as well as our subsequent valuations of them. Establishing a deeper knowledge of how these factors interact provides us with a better understanding of how our views may have become entrenched in an outmoded ideal. Using Cloke’s (2006) notion that green belt and rural areas should be considered not as a static concept but as a physically and socially evolving set of resources, spatial linkages and experiences (which, as we shall discuss later in the book, mirrors the thoughts of the 1940 Barlow Commission on the planning system more broadly), this chapter addresses the pluralism associated with green belt locations, our perceptions of them, and the influence that people have on their management and designations (Halfacree, 2006).
