The Toekomstvisie Limburg provides direction for the major social, spatial and economic choices that are needed to continue to be a prosperous, sustainable and connected province in 2050, in which greenery and community are always nearby.
With this vision, Limburg is taking the initiative to take charge of its own future. With all the transitions and major tasks ahead of Limburg, a clear and coherent long-term strategy is needed. The integrated vision was created in close collaboration between the Province of Limburg and a consortium of consultancies consisting of: PosadMaxwan, Generation.Energy, AT Osborne, Stec Group and Goudappel.
Transitions
Together with the province, the consortium developed a vision that builds on past experience. The future vision is based on data analysis and a clear understanding of the current challenges. At the same time, the vision looks to the future through scenario exploration and long-term ambitions. PosadMaxwan was responsible for the development and assessment of the future scenarios and translated the knowledge of specialists into spatial consequences and coherent storylines. For instance, rather than approaching the major transitions in areas such as ageing, climate adaptation, energy, digitisation and strategic autonomy as separate challenges, they were considered as coherent opportunities.
Backbone
Central to the vision is the Limburg compass for 2050, consisting of four interconnected movements: communities with control, a characteristic landscape, dynamic urban areas and positioning Limburg as a crossroads in Europe. Together, these movements form the backbone of the vision and guide future policy and investment choices. Our Digital Cities team compiled the underlying data for this vision using a uniform data protocol and brought together the map material from all phases in an online GIS viewer. Allowing us to continuously test the spatial impact of our decisions.
"What made this process special was that we had all the relevant expertise at the table from the outset. By continuously linking data, system knowledge and spatial design, a logical and coherent vision gradually emerged. This allowed us to not only conceive future visions, but also substantiate them spatially and factually.”
In coherence
The starting point is a single, integrated approach. Both the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) recently published four scenarios for the Netherlands. These scenarios make it clear that choices relating to prosperity, well-being and sustainability are interrelated. This is why the future visions for the economy, housing, rural areas, mobility and energy are being addressed in a single integrated exploration. The Limburg-specific scenarios for all these themes have been explored in depth. Particular attention has been paid to the border location, the landscape, and Limburg's identity and culture.
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Building the future together
With the Future Vision Limburg 2050, the province has a solid strategic framework that provides guidance in a time of major change. Such an exploration encourages us to look to the future with an open mind and to explore options that we would not consider if we were to reason from the present. Ultimately, the vision is an invitation to municipalities, social organizations, entrepreneurs, and residents to work together to build the future of the province.
