Scrutinising European land-use planning: Identifying the priorities and goals of building regulations

The rapid growth and increasing complexity of European cities highlight the need for urban planning and governance in creating sustainable urban environments. Specifically, regulations on building form and location are key to designing efficient and equitable cities. However, these regulations vary widely among municipalities across European countries and are not well understood. Notably, there is no comprehensive overview of the prevailing regulations and their objectives. This study fills this gap by analysing how European countries prioritise local building regulations and whether they pursue efficiency, i.e. making the best use of space, or equity, i.e. promoting fair and inclusive distribution of urban benefits. We examine regulations related to building height, volume, density, outlook, design coherence, value capacity, and hazard prevention. Through an online survey of planning experts in 30 countries, we found that regulations on height and density are prioritised the most and are primarily efficiency-oriented. While some regulations of lesser priority exhibited a more balanced pursuit of both goals, overall, building regulations in Europe pursue efficiency more than equity. The findings from this study are expected to enhance knowledge exchange in planning practice and foster better cooperation between countries. Furthermore, they provide an important empirical basis for much-needed theory development and future comparative research in spatial planning and land-use regulation.