The City of York Green Belt is a green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates the rural space within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It is contained wholly within the county of North Yorkshire. The core function of the belt is to more rigorously manage development around York and surrounding areas, preserving its setting and historic character, discouraging urban sprawl, and convergence of outer villages into the built up areas of the city. It is managed by local planning authorities on guidance from central government.