Metternicht, G. (2017). Land use planning. Global Land Outlook Working Paper
Competition for land is increasing as demand for multiple land uses and ecosystem services rises. Food security issues, renewable energy and emerging carbon markets are creating pressures for the conversion of agricultural land to other uses, such as reforestation and biofuels. This is occurring in parallel with other growing demands from land systems for urbanization and recreation, mining, food production, and biodiversity conservation. Managing increasing competition for the supply of these services, accounting for different stakeholders’ interests, requires efficient allocation of land resources. Land use planning can be of use with regard to finding a balance among competing and sometimes contradictory uses [3], while promoting sustainable land use options. This brief presents evidence of land use planning, spatial planning, territorial (or regional) planning, and ecosystem-based or environmental land use planning as tools that can strengthen land governance, improve economic opportunities based on sustainable management of land resources, and develop land use options that reconcile conservation and development objectives.
