Lecturer: Bernard Bourdillon

SID: 0312030.

 


Introduction.

The planning profession is in a period of uncertainty at a time of change. There is nothing new in this. One of the features of planning is its openness to external influences, as it is always in a state of some change.

The idea that there are four main environments that the planning system deals with, the Physical, Social, Economic and Political, the questions raised are:-

  • What sort of activity is town planning?
  • What should town planning be aiming to do?
  • What are the affects of actual planning practice?

I see theses three questions asking What? How? Why? And within these mini essays I hope to answer theses questions in What? How? Why?


Why Plan?

It is highlighted by Nigel Taylor that “Planning in a general senses is, state intervention in, and playing a, more active role in, the managing and planning of social and economic affairs.” (Urban planning theory since 1945)

This ‘management’ authorizes planning to adopt policy within our social, economic, political and physical environment, these being the theorists identified environments that are involved within the planning sphere. Planning is a valuable asset.

The physical environment of planning has been given measures such as, development control and litigation on conservation and design. From which issues of loss of countryside and habitat loss can be addressed.

Within our economic environment the distribution of resources within the regions would be part of planning policy; this could also involve the social environment.

There have been many theoretical debates as to what environment from the social, economic, political and physical environment that planning deals with. It was suggested by Keeble (1952), that planning was only concerned with our physical environment and did not include economic, social or political planning. But it is Taylor who suggests otherwise as I quote “People generally wish to control the form of their environment to maintain or enhance their well being or welfare” (Urban planning theory since 1945) this would give evidence to the involvement of the social environment.

I believe planning should deal with our physical environment, as the physical environment is reflective to what is demanded within our social, economic and political environment.

A good example of planning is EIAs (environmental impact assessments), which need to be carried out under European legislation. A Morden example to assess whether an aspect of planning is good would be whether it has accommodated for sustainability, which is a European plan of action.

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Compare and Contrast.

The two chapters I have chosen to compare and contrast are chapter 1 which is on town planning as physical planning design. Chapter 3 on critiques of post war planning theory.

Comparing.

Chapter 1.

This chapter serves as an introduction to the concept of the nature of town and country planning as a discipline, and how theorists of the time would have defined town planning. Interwar economic depression called for the state to play a more active, interventionist role in society, from which the town and country planning Act 1947 was ...

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