The rural planninng system in France provides interesting lessons for Japan. In France, the planning system for rural areas is characterized by its strong regulation role of controling land use changes under the general direction given by the master plan and POS. Consideration of agricultural land use in the planning reflects the changing social and economic conditions affecting small cities and rural communes. The local level planning includes design control as well as conservation of cultural heritages, vernaculer architecture and wildlife habitats. Provisions for landscape conservation and environmental impact assessment are now integrated into the planning system. Rural planning also contains measures to encourage efficient use of agricultural land and to help starting young farmers.
