Rescaling Spatial Planning: Spatial Planning Reforms in Denmark, England, and the Netherlands

Abstract

Following a wave of spatial planning reforms at the beginning of the 21st century, a second wave o f reforms has recently swept through several European countries. In this study we investigate the significance o f these latest developments by analysing the reforms in Denmark, England, and the Netherlands from the perspective o f rescaling, the process of redividing tasks, and responsibilities between the various tiers o f government. We show that the reasoning behind the new planning systems and the philosophy they were based on were remarkably similar. Typical catchphrases, such as 'closer to the citizen' and 'development-oriented spatial planning', were used in each of the countries under study. Although the second wave o f changes is legitimised by much o f the same wording, the changes are significantly different because comprehensive visions on the integrated spatial development at the national and regional level have been almost completely abandoned. The loss of this 'something more' seems to impact the core o f spatial planning.

The rescaling of sub-national planning: can localism resolve England’s spatial planning conundrum?

“…Gallant et al's (2013, 569) question: whether the new localist system of planning in England allows government to deal effectively with the strategic dilemmas integral to governing? Evidence provided in this paper and in other studies (Boddy and Hickman, 2013;Townsend, 2013 andRoodbol-Mekkes andVan den Brink, 2015) suggest that strategic dilemmas (e.g. the distribution of strategic housing allocations between neighbouring authorities, major infrastructure projects and responses to climate change) are unlikely to be effectively addressed via the existing duty to co-operate.…”

De-democratising the Irish planning system

“…Indeed, it has steadfastly occupied a contested position in political and economic debate across the world for the past three decades (Fainstein, 1991, Klosterman, 1985. However, a growing chorus of concern has emerged in recent years over worries that the planning systems of several European nations have been recalibrated to favour private economic actors through neoliberal inspired policies that reduce genuine participation and debate (Allmendinger and Haughton, 2012, Olesen and Carter, 2018, Falleth and Saglie, 2011, Lord and Tewdwr-Jones, 2014, Roodbol-Mekkes and van den Brink, 2015, Waterhout et al, 2013. The format of such recalibration varies from country to country as neoliberal rationalities contour rather than stipulate the form of changes made through 'novel ways of conceiving and relating state, society, economy, and subject' (Brown, 2015) which 'exhibits multifarious institutional forms' that are 'socially produced, and historically and spatially specific' (Boland, 2014).…”

Perform or conform? Looking for the strategic in municipal spatial planning in Sweden

“…SSP can be understood and carried out differently depending on the circumstances, and it is not always clear what SSP means as a planning concept, or in actual planning cases. Nevertheless, the idea of SSP has not only entered academic debate, but has also changed planning practice and in some countries even led to fundamental institutional changes in legislation and formal planning competencies (Albrechts, Balducci, & Hillier, 2017;Haughton, Allmendinger, Counsell, & Vigar, 2010;Roodbol-Mekkes & van den Brink, 2015), as part of an ongoing process of strategy formation in public organizations in general (Cherp, Watt, & Vinichenko, 2007, pp. 628, 638-639;Waaranperä, 2013, p. 5).…”