Presentation for AESOP conference 2009. Paper available at www.bk.tudelft.nl/jvanschaick

1. The Dutch
layer approach
turn-of-the-century phenomenon
or fundamental approach to
urban design and planning tasks?
Jeroen van Schaick
Working paper
Ina Klaasen
® beeldleveranciers.nl

2. The Dutch
layer approach
…are you familiar?
…are you familiar with the critiques?
…what is it?
Not one answer…Common denominator:
(part of an) approach to spatial planning that distinguishes three layers on
which to tackle a planning task:
Substratum (soil/water/under ground); Networks; Occupation patterns

3. This presentation
Research project: time-oriented approaches in urbanism
Short introduction to the layer approach: 1998
Our focus:
Research question
Key documents: variations
Promotion in professional practice: variations
Some major points of critique
Discussion: Hype or fundamental?

4. Research project: time-oriented approaches in urbanism
Focus:
expert opinions on
incorporating time in
spatial planning and design
Source: Drewe 2005

5. Introduction layer approach: 1998, the 1st model
- Model to categorize existing plans for national spatial
development
- The regional scale
- Working philosophy
- Normative model: a model for choosing between priorities
- The longer the time horizon, the more the tasks on that layer sets
conditions for planning tasks on the other layers
- Sectorally coloured problem definition on each layer
- Spatial planning as integrator
…it had a nerve in spatial
planning practice

6. Introduction layer approach: 1998, the 1st model
Design and planning Time horizon
tasks
Layer 1 Substratum - Dealing with the physical
effects of climate change
100-500 years
-Modernising the water
management system
Layer 2 Networks - Strengthening the
position of the
50-100 years
Netherlands in
international networks
-Control and steer the
growth of mobility
Layer 3 Occupation -Accommodating spatial
claims and shrinkage in
25-50 years
relation to values and
attractivity
Coherence - Creating synergy
between interventions
> Conditioning spatial planning
> Facilitating spatial planning
Source: De Hoog, Sijmons & Verschuren, 1998

7. The working paper – research question
What variations of the original layer model have been constructed since
1998?
In what ways have these variations enriched or neglected time-oriented
thinking in urban design and planning?
The working paper –
analytical-interpretative viewpoints
The trends that can be distilled from policy documents and other
documents from planning practice
Variations in the interpretation of the theoretical basis of the Dutch
layer approach

8. The working paper - our focus: 1998-2009
Key documents
Promotion in planning practice
Some major points of critique
Behind the critique: interpreting variations on
the original model
…not an exhaustive overview of applications in
practice, but focussing on key ‘promotional’
documents and exemplary documents from
spatial planning practice

9. Some key documents: 1998 and 2001
‘slimming down’
‘weighting’
1998: national spatial 2001: substratum (under 2001: the layer model
planning tasks prioritized ground, soil and water) on as basis for analysis in
the agenda Fifth Memorandum on
Spatial Planning
…and the stage was set for implementation,
interpretation, amendments, transformations, etc.

10. Adding layers, linking to other discourses in spatial planning
Variations in key documents (1/5)
The first occurrence of the layer approach in an official policy document
Embedded in a whole range of discourses related to the ESDP
Adapted to include “the cultural dimension”
…..was the layer approach not viable to begin with?
Source: RPD (2000)

11. Promotion in professional practice: since 2003
“towards a sustainable “advice about content, process “Guide for environment in
spatial quality” and implementation of regional spatial plans”
structure visions”
DCMR, 2004 IPO, 2003 Stadsgewest Haaglanden, 2003

12. But what role does the layer model play in these guides for planning?
Variations (2/5) A model to make choices:
One layer setting conditions for
planning tasks on the other
Analytical tool to widen
the view of planners
(and specialists)
vertically and
horizontally
Planning process tool
Description of reality
…getting a bit too complex?
Images by Peter Dauvellier; www.ruimtexmilieu.nl (2004 and 2006 versions)

13. Variations (3/5) maps > scheme > process
national regional local
2001 2002 2003
…but it is not a linear development
Source: Ministry VROM (2001) Source: Provincie Noord-Holland (2002) Source: Stadsgewest Haaglanden (2003)

14. Variations (4/5): adding layers, new content
The The layer of
natural agricultural
layer landscape
The urban The pleasure
layer and leisure
layer
2009, in one single
document
Source: Provincie Overijssel (2000)

15. Different ideas of the time horizon
Variations in key documents (5/5)
Source Dynamics on the occupation Dynamics on the network Dynamics on the substratum
layer layer layer
De Hoog, Sijmons, Verschuren (1998b) 25-50 yrs 50-100 yrs 100-500 yrs
RPD (2000) Low rate of change Moderate rate of High rate of change
change
RPD (2001) Not mentioned Not mentioned 50 - >500
VROM (2001a) Not mentioned Not mentioned Not mentioned
Provincie Noord-Holland (2002)
1 generation/cycle Faster than >100 years
on the building substratum
market
Sijmons (2002) on temporal scales 5-10 yrs 10-30 yrs 20-200 yrs
Sijmons (2002) on planning horizons 5-15 yrs 15-50 yrs 50-100 yrs
Werksma (2002) 10-40 yrs 25-100 yrs 50-500 yrs
VROM (2006) Not mentioned Not mentioned Slow/longterm
www.ruimtexmilieu.nl (2006) 10-40 yrs 20-80 yrs >100 yrs
Senternovem (n/a) Highly dynamic Moderately Slightly dynamic
dynamic
Provincie Overijssel (2009) 5-50 yrs 50-100 yrs >100 yrs

16. Interpreting variations on the original model
‘The’ layer approach seems to be ‘everywhere’…
local level, provincial level, national level
…each in its own way pragmatically adjusted…or not?
Justifications for variations and adoption of the approach in a certain
context are often lacking
At times, rather:
- Different views on hierarchy of planning tasks: what first?
- Different roles attributed to the layer approach: what works?
- Different scales of time and of space: what is the ‘appropriate’ scale?
- Different adopted histories: legitimization-after-the-fact?
……more details in the paper
And here and there it is already starting to give way to other frameworks…

17. Some major points of critique: based on literature review
- The constructed link between time horizon and layers is not
valid, and by default the hierarchy of planning tasks neither.
- Abandoned after using it for analysis
- By focusing on physical-spatial questions, disregarding ‘user
aspects’ (e.g. daily life)
- Inflexible by ‘weighting’ the substratum layer
- Not suitable to produce a spatial plan or design

18. Some major points of critique: based on literature review
Critique on the critique:
- No distinction between the original ‘layer model’ and the ‘layer approach’
- Disregarding the variations on the layer approach since 2001
- Ignorance of other layer-based approaches
- Critique-less copying of constructed histories
- No overview of applications available
- No detailed analysis of the principle assumptions of the approach available
……we have tried to tackle these,
but further work is necessary

19. Recap
…our focus: the variations on the original layer model
> Pragmatics, but also different views on the underlying theory and principles
> Poor in further theoretical development after 1998
…and the way in which these variations influenced time-oriented thinking
in spatial design and planning
> Approach often abandoned in plan making after a layer-based analysis
> Still narrow concept of time: transformation of physical space, no user aspects
Discussion: Hype or fundamental?
Persistent in next generation of structure visions
Shifting of focus to other approaches on a national level
Elements of the approach are surviving: ongoing
conversation, major planning tasks in NL
A more fundamental debate necessary on the time concept
underlying the layer approach, related to network theory

20. The Dutch
layer approach
turn-of-the-century phenomenon
or fundamental approach to
urban design and planning tasks?
More information:
www.bk.tudelft.nl/users/schaick/internet
j.vanschaick@tudelft.nl
Jeroen van Schaick
Working paper
Ina Klaasen
® beeldleveranciers.nl