Profiling the Current Curriculum of Land Use Planning and Management Practices in the EU

Land use transformation, the longest-standing human-driven environmental alteration, is a pressing and complex issue that significantly impacts European landscapes. It is often described as a dimensional key to “global change”. As the European Environment Agency (EEA) reports, the significant factors influencing land take in the European Economic Area include industrial and commercial activities, alongside the expansion of residential areas, particularly in the vicinity of larger urban agglomerations. This comprehensive study explores the diverse strategies adopted by European countries, including Italy, Greece, Poland, France, and Ukraine, to address the challenge of achieving zero net land take by 2050. This involves thoroughly examining the countries' laws, strategies, and targets for neutrality in land degradation. The potential impact of this study on policymakers, land-use planners, and academic institutions is significant, as it aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of the existing gaps, practical implementation challenges, and inconsistencies in national laws. Ultimately, the research aims to yield essential insights, underscoring the crucial role of these stakeholders in sustainable land use development. Among the results, it has become evident that a typical “pathway” between the examined states in terms of legislative framework on land use–land take is probably a utopia for the time being. The legislations in force, in several cases, are labyrinthine and multifaceted, highlighting the urgent and immediate need for simplification and standardization. The need for this action is further underscored by the fact that, in most cases, land use frameworks are characterized by complementary legislation and ongoing amendments. Notably, deregulated land-use planning and development occur in certain instances within Southern Europe. To a further extent, the structure, role, and implementation of legislations rest within different levels of legislative entities, thus giving a wide range of complexity, diversity, and goals depending on who legislates each case.