University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Green Noose
Report

The Green Noose

An Analysis of Green Belts and Proposals for Reform

Tom Papworth
Adam Smith Institute, 2015
Get the Report

Read or listen offline

Amazon Kindle
自动生成的音频
  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×
自动生成的音频

Editorial Rating

7

Recommendation

Finding a balance between environmental protection and economic growth is not an easy task. Today, the UK is facing just this challenge. In this paper, public-policy analyst Tom Papworth of the Adam Smith Institute questions the practicality of the beliefs of economists, policy makers and environmentalists who support the UK’s “Green Belt” policy. While always politically neutral, getAbstract recommends Papworth’s cogent if controversial analysis to environmentalists, town planners and policy makers.

Summary

British politician Eric Pickles called “Green Belts” the “vital green lungs around…towns and cities.” These green belts – or greenways – cover about 13% of the total land area in England. They were created to prevent urban encroachment into rural areas and to serve as barriers to the merging of towns on the theory of guarding local heritage. In reality, the distinction between rural and urban areas itself is unclear. Today, critics claim that the idea of having vast green belts to curb unchecked urban growth is not viable. The belief that green belts prevent “sprawl,” a loaded term, is also...

About the Author

Tom Papworth is a fellow of The Adam Smith Institute and an associate director at CentreForum. He has more than 15 years of expertise in the field of public policy and research.

Comment on this summary