Spatial Planning Tools for Agricultural Land Protection in the Czech Republic and Austria: A Comparative Study

Abstract

One of the most significant problems of sustainable development is the continued loss of arable and agricultural land due to the expansion of housing and infrastructure development. The paper compares the current spatial planning tools for protecting agricultural land in the Czech Republic and Austria. Analysis of examples of spatial planning documents, legislation, and related strategies, their verbal description, and comparison provided an overview of the status of protecting agricultural land. The results show that there are tendencies and tools to reduce the consumption of agricultural land in both countries. However, conceptual land protection in the Czech Republic could be more effective if complemented with appropriate tools from the Austrian environment.