Landesentwicklungsplan Saarland Teilabschnitt « Umwelt (Vorsorge für Flächennutzung, Umweltschutz und Infrastruktur » – Teil A: Textliche Festlegungen vom 13. Juni 2004

The central elements in the "Environment" regional development plan" are the goals defined for spatial planning. The regional development plan contains spatial planning goals on the functional assignment of spaces, on priority areas, transport links and for sites and route sections. In addition the "Environment" regional development plan contains technical goals.

In the provisions of the "Environment" regional development plan, the principles of equivalence, sustainability and decentralised concentration are considered as overriding principles. Furthermore, there are general principles of spatial planning that are adapted to the different spatial categories.

The protection of open countryside and natural resources is pursued through local requirements in the form of priority areas for the protection of nature, open spaces and groundwater and flood protection. With priority areas for business, industry and services, research and development and farming the mandatory spatial distribution of these uses is defined and provision made for them. There are also location-specific provisions on the spatial distribution of the ad hoc infrastructure of the extractive industries, tourism, inland navigation and air traffic. Specific areas are also designated for special developments and as cultural heritage sites. Finally, binding provisions are also made in the "Environment" regional development plan for the intended spatial distribution of transport infrastructure. These concern roads, railways as well as waterways and the related areas for their respective routes.

The "Environment" regional development plan is harmonised with the German, French and Luxembourg regions bordering Saarland and their planning. In addition there is also cooperation on cross-border coordination. This cooperation takes place through the Saarland-Lorraine-Luxembourg-Trier/Western Palatinate Regional Commission and the interregional SaarLorLux Summit, a political entity consisting of the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the member States, Regions and Departments. In addition economic actors and representatives of civil society are also consulted, to level out the differences that exist between the economic, social and legal systems in a cross-border context through internal cooperation. During the drawing up of the "Settlements" section of the regional development plan, the "SaarLorLux-Plus" spatial development concept and the "Future Vision 2020“ of the Political Commission formed a joint strategic basis for inter-regional and cross-border collaboration.

The main component of Saarland's 2006 "Settlements" regional development plan is the settlement structure requirements in spatial planning. These are expressed as goals or principles and accordingly have various binding effects. The settlement structure requirements in the "Settlements" regional development plan include provisions on

• central places,
• settlement axes in spatial planning
• spatial categories and
• residential settlements.

Furthermore target figures for housing demand goals and principles for the location, expansion and modification of large-scale retail facilities are also defined. The goals and principles set out in the regional development are to be respected (goals) or taken into account (principles) in urban land use planning at municipal level.

The provisions on central places are intended to guarantee the supply of goods and services to the population and spatially concentrate settlement development. Settlement axes in spatial planning provide for settlement development along significant transport axes. The central place and settlement axes provisions serve the carrying capacity and capacity utilisation of the existing infrastructure. The spatial category provisions allow the specific targeting of structurally homogeneous or similar characterised spaces within the state. Further goals and principles concerning residential development target a decentralised settlement structure, which contribute in turn to the protection of open spaces, the protection of ecological functions as well as traffic minimisation or reduction. Binding, quantitative targets for housing demand guarantee careful use of natural resources and thanks to the goals and principles on large-scale retail facilities a balanced and demand-based retail infrastructure is provided, which is oriented towards the central place-based classification of districts.

The "Settlements" regional development plan is harmonised with German, French and Luxembourg regions bordering Saarland and their planning. In addition there is also cooperation on the cross-border coordination of settlement structure development, that is coordination of the essential spatial planning guidelines.

This cooperation takes place through the Saarland-Lorraine-Luxembourg-Trier/Western Palatinate Regional Commission and the interregional SaarLorLux Summit, a political entity consisting of the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the member States, Regions and Departments. In addition municipal authorities, economic actors and representatives of civil society are also consulted, to level out the differences that exist between the economic, social and legal systems in a cross-border context through internal cooperation. During the drawing up of the "Settlements" section of the regional development plan the "SaarLorLux-Plus" spatial development concept and the "Future Vision 2020“ of the 7th SaarLorLux Summit Conference in 2003 formed a joint strategic basis for inter-regional and cross-border collaboration. Furthermore, the Interreg Programmes already implemented are particularly noteworthy, as among other things they allowed the creation of the "SaarLorLux area" to synchronise the basic cross-border planning arrangements. Also Saarland's formal "settlements" regional development plan, by providing for "action spaces" creates a basis for the establishment of cross-border regional managements and in doing so facilitates informal approaches to spatial or regional development.