Regional land use policy : Use of guidelines in regional plans

The county’s role is both to contribute knowledge to planning in the municipalities, give guidance and have the regional perspective via regional plans. There are fewer guidelines and less advice from state level for regional plans than for municipal plans. In the three counties examined, regional plan guidelines have been adopted to ensure implementation of the regional plan, either as a requirement, as guidance or to present new issues for further planning. The plans examined contain different guidelines. These are general, provide guidance for processes (procedural guidelines) or quantify requirements that the municipalities must follow (substantive guidelines). Procedural guidelines coincide well with the county’s supervisory role, while substantive guidelines are important for enforcing regional guidelines equally across municipal boundaries. There is a need for more guidance material from state and for meeting places where the counties can discuss guidelines and further develop planning tools. There is also a need for more knowledge on this topic.