Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
THE UNDERSTANDING OF PLANNING IN DIFFERENT PLANNING
TRADITIONS
There is a growing literature which aims at categorising different countries'
approaches to the organisation of 'spatial planning' (cf. Fürst
et al.
, 1994; Newman
and Thornley, 1996), but the function of cartographic representations in communi-
cating spatial planning policies has not been given much attention in any of these.
One of the most comprehensive categorisations to date is the
EU Compendium of
Spatial Planning Systems and Policies
(CEC, 1997), a project explicitly commis-
sioned by the European Commission in order to provide a better understanding of
different planning traditions (see Box 3.1).
Generally, in using classifications of planning traditions like this, one should
bear in mind that planning systems change over time. For example, since the late
1990s planning law in Germany has undergone major revisions in order to
increase the flexibility of the system, and non-statutory or informal planning instru-
ments such as regional development concepts, in addition to the legally binding
regulatory plans, are of increasing importance. In the UK, the policy agenda for
planning has broadened significantly over recent years following devolution in the
early 1990s and reflecting the commitment to sustainable development by the
Labour government.
While the factors that influence the design and use of cartographic
representations are not given much consideration in previous classifications of
planning systems, they give a notion of the importance of the dominant professions
in planning, which are influenced by the organisation of planning and likewise
shape planning practice and determine the ability of a planning tradition to 'think
spatially'. For example, the use of cartographic representations is well established
at all or most levels of planning in member states that follow the comprehensive
integrated approach, as - it could be argued - there is a strong emphasis on
streamlining and clarifying information for lower levels of planning. Emphasis is also
usually put on cartographic representations in those member states which follow
the 'urbanism' tradition. This could be explained by the dominance of architects in
the planning domain in these planning systems.
'SPATIAL CONSCIOUSNESS'
The concept of 'spatial consciousness' (Healey, 2006) explains the ability to think
spatially through the historical and geographical context of a planning tradition. In
the mid-twentieth century, planning policy cultures in Europe were intellectually
dominated by concepts of urban form and physical structure. But, as Healey
(2006) pointed out, the capacity of these concepts to 'travel' and interrelate with
wider policy cultures and political assumptions varied between countries. A spatial
consciousness informed by physical planning concepts was strongly developed in
