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Panorama South Limburg: attractive and future-proof region

In the coming years, the region of South Limburg in the Netherlands is going to change in many ways. This is necessary to ensure that the region remains an attractive place to live, work and relax. In the Panorama South Limburg project, we are working with the Province of Limburg, the State, Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg, various municipalities and Arcadis to develop a new future vision for South Limburg in 2050. Three different perspectives look ahead to what is spatially possible for the region.

In a number of years' time, the space in South Limburg will be used in a different way than today. This is due to changes in agriculture, the energy system and mobility, but also to making homes more sustainable and the economy circular. The three future perspectives map out the various claims on space. The specific qualities of the region form the basis for the scenarios, but the uncertain factors that will impact on the space have also been taken into account. An example of an uncertainty is how the circular economy will develop or how much space water safety requires. The future perspectives are thinking exercises, but in their diversity they also show that the spatial planning of the region can still go in many directions:

Europolis, the dynamic perspective

South Limburg's city link with Liège and Aachen has merged into a cross-border, Euroregional, metropolitan area. The focus is on the various cities with their knowledge economy and facilities. The green pearl in the middle offers space for nature development, climate adaptation, recreation and nature-inclusive (and innovative) agriculture.

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Experiential landscape, the relaxed perspective

Tourism, care and wellness are the economic drivers of the experiential landscape. This high-quality, healthy living environment attracts many families and retirees to the region. Small-scale nature-inclusive agriculture, monuments, care, holiday resorts and climate-adaptive measures are fitted into the landscape in line with its cultural-historical character.

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Local chains, the careful perspective

Autonomy, broad prosperity and solidarity are at the basis of local chains. Thanks to a strategy around main villages with a concentration of accessible facilities, small Daily Urban Systems and associated communities have been preserved. Commitment to the circular economy means that flows of raw materials are attuned to one another. South Limburg is becoming increasingly self-sufficient.

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From Sunday 28 August to Friday 30 September, a travelling exhibition of the future perspectives will pass by Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Valkenburg and Maastricht respectively. In this way, Panorama South Limburg wants to enter into a dialogue with the inhabitants of the region about desirable and undesirable developments. By the end of 2022, this will result in a joint picture of the future that will serve as the basis for a spatial development strategy for the region in 2023.

More info (in Dutch)