On the road to leisure

The Dutch countryside is no longer predominantly farmland; a shift is taking place from an agricultural towards a more consumptive use of the land. There are fears that this will be accompanied by the loss of what are seen as important rural assets such as peace and quiet, space, green meadows with grazing cattle and traditional farm life. If we wish to retain the countryside in its present form, we need to ascertain what its assets are, based on the idea that the countryside is also important to urban-dwellers. 
This essay describes the countryside through the eyes of a town-dweller. What is the historical relationship between town-dwellers and the countryside? What social significance does the countryside have for urban users? And what values do town-dwellers attach to the Dutch countryside?
The essay is followed by an epilogue with an overview of rural assets distilled from the essay, plus a number of questions which address the importance of rural assets for policy.