Land use and agricultural plans as a tool for comprehensive implementation of spatial planning regulations for rural areas – A case study of Różan commune in Poland

Abstract

This paper emphasizes the importance of land use and agricultural plans in the spatial development of rural areas. The management of rural areas is one of the most important areas of action of the European Union. Planning and implementing a policy aimed at sustainable and multifunctional rural development is a major challenge for the Member States and their regions, as it involves numerous spatial changes. The Polish spatial planning policy lacks documents comprehensively regulating the management and shaping of rural areas, which is a factor that hinders their proper development. This necessitates the development of land use and agricultural plans which outline several solutions (land use and agricultural activities) to facilitate comprehensive management of rural areas. However, since there are no legal regulations in this area, they are not mandatory and therefore not widely adopted. This paper aims to set the objectives for a land use and agricultural plan for rural areas of the Różan commune, the implementation of which will aim at multifunctional and sustainable development of rural areas. The proposed indications will have a positive impact on the development of agriculture and non-agricultural functions, improvement of living and working conditions in the countryside, and protection of the natural environment in the commune. Due to the wide scope of spatial work included in the land use and agricultural plan, it is stated that this document can be used as an effective tool supporting comprehensive spatial planning in rural areas, significantly supporting the implementation of the provisions of local spatial development plans and other schemes. Comprehensive land consolidation is a special type of land use and agricultural activities, which brings multifaceted benefits.