Sustainable spatial development requires a balance between open and built-up space. European and Flemish policy therefore aims for no net land take and no additional paving over time. The Flemish process to achieve this objective, is better known as the ‘building shift’. There are many challenges such as the absence of technological instruments to support the implementation of this shift. The Province of Antwerp wants to develop a GIS-based tool that connects locations that desire additional land take or paving is desired and locations that have a desire to remove land take or paving.  

Providing a digital matching tool offers numerous advantages. Such a tool centralises projects and visualises spatial opportunities. By digitising part of the (spatial) consideration, a uniform approach to project areas is pursued. In addition, the tool reduces the workload of municipal and proviancial public officials. Furthermore the approach appears to be  transferable to other provinces in Flanders.