In the contemporary 'Brabant mosaic', urban-rural relationships are under strain. Nature and landscape values are being contested by residents, while agricultural entrepreneurs face limitations in their operations. The expansion of logistics centers, wind energy, greenhouses, and agricultural businesses presents a dilemma. It does not align with the Van Gogh-like landscape that residents envision. Additionally, the Brabant mosaic seems vulnerable to the forthcoming changes.

While the challenges for the Dutch landscape are sharply highlighted in Brabant, it is in the stream valley landscape of the Van Gogh National Park where city, nature, and productive land are most strongly intertwined. The area is centrally located between the three Brabant cities of Eindhoven, Tilburg, and 's-Hertogenbosch. It is a region full of spatial contrasts, conflicts, and challenges, but at the same time, a shining example of a valuable cultural landscape where recreational use, ecological values, and productivity go hand in hand. Geomorphologically, the Van Gogh National Park is also exemplary. The transition from sand to clay and from wet to dry is clearly noticeable over short distances in Het Groene Woud. Here, the friction between a fine-grained mosaic landscape and the large-scale challenges that demand robust, resilient solutions is most pronounced. In short, it is a beautiful case of a small-scale, cherished landscape on the verge of major changes.

The search for business models for nature development is relevant for all of the Netherlands. The challenges, as well as the opportunities, are particularly significant near urban areas. Here, the demand for nature is high, and the diversity of agricultural activities is often substantial. This is especially true for the Van Gogh National Park in development, which serves as an ‘inner garden’ for the largest cities in Brabant. With the exception of the Loonse and Drunense Dunes, this area is not a park or nature reserve in the conventional sense. The Van Gogh National Park is largely a cultural landscape where nature development must be combined with other activities.

The Van Gogh National Park in development is the host region for the 5th edition of the Landscape Triennale in 2021. In the area, many remarkable alliances have already been formed between government, entrepreneurs, and citizens to realize projects that lead to a better and more beautiful ‘nature-inclusive cultural landscape.’ These initiatives deserve a platform, and during the Landscape Triennale 2021 (LT21), ways will be explored to accelerate and scale them up to become pillars of the landscape of the future. The leverage points mentioned in this report largely coincide with the Landscape Laboratories of the Landscape Triennale. The Landscape Triennale can therefore serve to further investigate some of these leverage points. Conversely, this report acts as a source of inspiration for the program of the Landscape Triennale.