The changing institutional landscape of planning

Book abstract:

This book examines the nature of planning in some European countries, changes that have recently taken place and the modernisation of planning to address contemporary issues. In particular, innovative examples of how planning operates at all spatial levels to achieve sustainable development are examined. The focus of the book is on critical analysis of new ideas in practice such as the consequences of new approaches, legislation, formal institutions and the emergence of new planning instruments.

The book consists of 12 chapters contributed by different authors from various European universities. Each chapter looks at an innovative case, examines changes over the last 10 years, and looks at future directions and driving forces for change. The framework of the case studies is to provide an explanation of why each case study was selected, followed by the context of the case in terms of new policy agendas, problems and challenges. The main characteristics of each case are then studied followed by a look at the impact of the case on the overall planning discourse. Finally the impact of the new approach on existing institutions is examined followed by reflection from the case study on the basic themes dealt with in the position paper. The book examines planning from the perspective of Europe as a whole and the effects of the European Spatial Development Perspective. This is followed by individual chapters on the United Kingdom, Flanders, the English regions with a separate chapter on Merseyside, the Ruhr in Germany, Italy Portugal, and the Landås township plan in Bergen, Norway,

The book would be suited to students and academics of urban and regional planning in Europe.