The Changing Institutional Landscape of Planning

Abstract

The Changing Institutional Landscape of Planning, Louis Albrechts, Jeremy Alden and Artur da Rosa Pires (eds), Aldershot, Ashgate, 2001, 288 pp., £39.95 (h/b) This book comes at an apposite time as planning is responding to new forms of governance and approaches to the practice of plan making. It focuses on change and how planning has reflected changes in the institutional structure (for example, devolved administrations) and change in the very nature of the state from being essentially a 'provider' to that of an 'enabler' with the resultant recognition of interdependency and the need for collaboration. It also reflects the way in which planning theory and planning practice have changed to embrace strategic, collaborative and communicative approaches - again reflecting the pluralist structure of society and a 'new' institutional landscape. Planning has also had to address new policy dimensions in the form of sustainable development and this is also an influence on the changing landscape of planning. The book presents a number of case studies structured around a common framework. The case studies reflect different spatial scales - EU, national, regional, local/ community. A further dimension is offered in respect of the focus of the contributions - innovative, reflections on change over the last decade, future directions and an insight into the drivers for change. The Changing Institutional Landscape of Planning begins at the European level with contributions from Mark Tewdwr-Jones and Andreas Faludi. Tewdwr-Jones traces changes in the nature of the 'product' of planning from its limited land use roots to that of spatial planning. The influence of the European Commission through the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is clearly an important landmark and Tewdwr-Jones addresses the influence that this has had on the content and direction of spatial planning and concludes that this has led to '... a complex web of relationships in the new kaleidoscopic planning landscape'. This changed landscape is seen as providing a rich source of material for academic study. Still at the European level, Faludi gives further insight into European spatial planning by providing a historical policy perspective of its development in various EU states and the effect it has had on planning discourse. Faludi observes that while the northern EU states have embraced the ESDP, those from southern Europe have a weaker adherence to its intentions. However, in terms of an overall assessment of whether the ESDP has had an impact on European planning, the answer is a qualified 'yes'. Moving to the national scale, Alden and Albrechts provide contributions from, respectively, the UK and Belgian perspective. Alden looks at the changing planning framework in the UK which, until the creation of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, more recently, London, was centrally driven. Again, the influence of the EU can be seen through the influence of the ESDP and the operation of the EU's Structural Funds. Alden highlights an interesting feature in the way that the UK Government has chosen to link the planning system with economic development and economic policy and the way in which land use policy can assist with macro-economic objectives, particularly in relation to international competitiveness and macro-economic stability. Regional Development Agencies and Regional Planning Guidance have been tasked in a similar manner. In looking to the future, a number of scenarios are considered for the future direction of spatial planning in the UK, with the regional dimension being strengthened, but not necessarily at the expense of the national level. Continuing with the theme of strategic planning and the devolution of power, Albrechts traces the development of structure planning in Flanders, which along with Wallonia and Brussels gained considerable autonomy. Among other things, this contribution identifies the development of Structure Plan Flanders and points to its impact (even though it was essentially driven top- down) in being a catalyst for other changes and engaging other key actors in the process. …

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