Institutions and Urban Development: Understanding Urban Morphological Differences between the Netherlands, Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia

Abstract

Despite the disappearance of physical borders, differences in urban form are easily observed between the Netherlands, Flanders, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Dutch urban extensions are typically large, compact, and orderly, while Flemish development appears more dispersed, fragmented, and small-scale. The question arises: how can such differences exist between neighbouring regions with similar climate and soil conditions? The answer lies in institutions. This paper investigates how national and regional institutions – in land policy, urban design, housing markets, and planning traditions – shape urban morphology. Focusing on housing development as the most striking field of difference, the study compares the Netherlands, Flanders, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The findings show that urban morphology is shaped by a wide variety of institutional arrangements, either independently or in combination. North Rhine-Westphalia’s urban development appears as a hybrid, combining small-scale patterns typical of Flanders with the more formal master planning tradition of the Netherlands. These insights provide lessons for Dutch planning practice in stimulating small-scale development, particularly in light of the ongoing financial crisis.