Clear-felling — in Dutch kaalslag — originally means cutting down a whole area of woodland at once: all the trees are felled together, leaving a bare plain. In urban planning the term is used figuratively for the large-scale demolition of a whole area or neighbourhood. In both senses it is about radically removing everything that stood there.
In forestry
Clear-felling takes out a whole compartment at once, rather than thinning trees selectively. It yields a lot of timber quickly, but the soil is then left exposed: a greater risk of erosion, leaching and loss of biodiversity. It is therefore often followed by replanting, or replaced by gentler, gradual cutting methods.
In urban planning
Figuratively, clear-felling stands for demolishing a large coherent area, such as an old working-class district swept away entirely to make room for new building or roads. Such interventions of the last century are now viewed critically, because much grown fabric and social structure disappeared with them.
Points to note
- Present-day area development usually prefers phased renewal
- The bare soil after clear-felling calls for measures against erosion
Related terms
- Zoning plan
- Wood species
- Timber
- Demolition
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.