A
green belt is an area of
land, essentially
rural, located near an
urban center, and protected by strong restrictions against building. It seeks to preserve and protect small
towns and their unique character, by preventing their merging into bigger towns. It also helps to keep a healthy
environment for inhabitants and may provide
gardening facilities.
The United Kingdom has fourteen green belt areas, totalling 4.5 million hectares, or 35% of the nation's area. [1]