ABSTRACT
Introduction Previous chapters have discussed the history of green belts, their characteristics and their impacts. Based on these discussions, we argue that there are a series of alternatives to green-space planning which could be more appropriate forms of landscape management. This chapter looks at several approaches to green-space management in and around urban areas which are being applied successfully and could also be employed in a UK context. The aim here is to postulate whether appropriate and practicable alternatives can be identified to green belts which would retain their spatial dimension but also act more responsively to the changing needs of urban and rural communities. Each of the options proposed suggests that, if we can move beyond the current polarised discussion of green belts within the UK and elsewhere, more appropriate forms of sustainable landscape management could be implemented (Amati and Taylor, 2010).
